Hanley
by NibelungVelocity
Summary: Amano Hanley wasn't quite normal, true, but she was sure she had never done anything to deserve near death and a strange adventure in another world. Begins ten years before Luffy leaves Fuschia Village. New chapter: Clayface and Fiddler's Green.
1. Introducing Hanley

_Hanley_ is essentially an experiment. We've all read stories about teens from our world landing into other dimensions of some sort, and we've all had horrible experiences with the dreaded Sue (no relation to the Dread Pirate Roberts for he is awesome). Basically, I just wanted to put my money where my mouth was—I would be the first to lament the existence of those awful characters, but who knows if I could do any better? I knew it was easier said than done, and dammit, I sorta wanted to let loose and jump on the bandwagon! So I asked myself, "Can I do it? Dare I tread down this path with nary a clue where I'll end up?" Then a friend of mine told me to go for it anyway...so I did.

I purposefully stacked the odds against myself when writing Hanley, so we'll see if I can manage a likable, or, at least a tolerable character where the audience is willing to suspend their disbelief. I'll be happy with that as well.

This is an exercise in characterization not only for my OCs, but also Oda Eiichiro's. It should also be noted that I have only started watching the anime in my spare time, so almost all of my knowledge is manga based. I don't know what the hell happens in the fillers (and I'm sure there are many with a series this long).

**DISCLAIMER: **Oda Eiichiro and Shounen Jump claim the rights to One Piece—I'm just using them. Note that this disclaimer will apply to all subsequent chapters for how ever long I go.

_Hanley_

Prologue: Introducing Hanley, the Adventurous Girl or the Girl that Stumbles Upon Adventure?

**********

Amano Hanley

Amano Hanley was merely ten years old when her life changed forever.

"I'm off, dear. I should be back by the time she gets up."

"We'll see about that, you've yet to be on time in the past 40 years we've been married. Don't forget her gift, you silly man."

"Of course not. Wish me luck, you heartless woman."

It was her birthday today; it fell on a Sunday this year so her grandmother felt kind enough to let her sleep in that morning. At ten, Hanley finally crawled out of her futon, and after spending all of three seconds in intense deliberations, decided she wasn't feeling up to putting it away properly. She had stayed up late last night, excited about her birthday on top of many other things, and ended up being unable to sleep well after midnight.

'Never making that mistake again,' she thought drowsily as she went to her dresser. She frowned at her reflection in the mirror and attempted to flatten her hair with her fingers with little success. Hanley was tall for her age, standing a good head above the other girls in her class, with straight black hair and dark green eyes. Her skin was a medium shade of brown, but she often sported a tan on top of that from spending a great deal of time outdoors.

Normally she would get dressed before heading down to breakfast—one of the rules of the house—but she figured that if she were allowed the luxury of sleeping until ten, Grandmother had probably waived this one as well. The old wooden floor creaked as she made her way down the short walkway to the den. Birthday or not, she wouldn't be allowed to laze about for too long. Her grandmother was at the stove, frying eggs and preparing tea while listening to their old clunker of a radio. The relative silence meant her grandfather was out. Hanley was a little disappointed—it was her birthday after all, and he usually _was_ in the den at this time, reading the paper or playing with his model ships.

Still, it was incredibly bright that morning, despite the heavy rain that lasted the all throughout the previous day and well into night. It was painful to look out the sliding glass doors that faced the gardens, but it was definitely loads better seeing the sun this side of six in the morning. Her grandparents were the type to be up and ready at the crack of dawn, and they were merciless enough to make her do the same. Well, her grandmother was merciless; Grandfather was content to go with the flow as he usually did.

"Good morning, dear." Her grandmother, Mitsuko, greeted as she poured her tea. Unlike her granddaughter, Mitsuko was a rather small woman with fair skin, who possessed steel gray hair and prominent laugh-lines around her lips and eyes. When the townspeople, including her small family, were feeling charitable, they would typically describe her personality as "formidable." Hanley could only remember challenging her authority just once when she realized her grandmother had to crane her neck back just to look at her in the eye.

She could never remember what happened afterwards, but she certainly never tried again, that was for sure.

Hanley yawned and nodded, trying to overcome her drowsiness. It had been so long since she had slept in on top of staying up late, her body didn't seem to know what to do with itself.

"Yeah..."

Mitsuko sighed, "Such laziness. It's a good thing your practice isn't until the afternoon."

"Yeah," Hanley muttered as she dumped copious amounts of ketchup on her eggs, "oh, and thanks for the meal, Grandma." The last bit came sheepishly once she realized she was being a little rude. Mitsuko merely smiled and nodded.

"Your useless grandfather said he would be back by the time you woke up, but we can see how that went. That man..."

"Where is he this morning?"  
"Fishing as usual. He found a new lure that he swears by, and he just had to try it out. You know how he is, dear. In any case, eat up before your food gets cold."

"Yes! It's really great."

Hanley lived with her grandparents outside the rural village of Hakube located by the sea. The compound consisted of a traditional house and garden attached to a small, yet ornate shrine to the sea god Wadatsumi. The shrine was well worn and possessed no valuables, and it was definitely outshone by the larger shrine in Kobe; however, it was one of the main sources of pride for the fishing village. It also saw quite a bit of traffic as it was located on the main road leading toward the harbor—it wasn't uncommon for the fishermen to stop by to say a prayer or leave an offering. Her grandmother's family, the Mizuno, had cared for the shrine for generations, as far back as anyone in Hakube could remember. The shrine was said to be a symbol of some kind of covenant between Wadatsumi and the Mizuno, but hell if anyone knew what that was supposed to entail. Nonetheless, Hanley would probably end up taking care of it once her grandparents had passed, but Mitsuko never mentioned any plans for her to do so, one way or another.

Mitsuko tossed the dirty dishes in the sink for her husband to clean and crossed into the den. She slid open the glass door that led into the garden before settling on the interior porch.

"Hanley, what would you like to do for your birthday? You never did say." she asked as she lit up a cigarette. Hanley wrinkled her nose at the sight of it but knew better than to say anything.

"Eh, I still don't know. My Swimming Class wanted to throw me a party, but..." Hanley paused, "I also wanted to spend my birthday with you."  
"Oh? So any party they had your grandpa and I couldn't go?"  
Hanley gave her a look, "No."

Mitsuko laughed and shrugged, "I can't blame you. Who knows what we'd do to embarrass you." The statement was delivered so shamelessly Hanley could only believe it was nothing but the truth.

One of their main sources of amusement was making their only grandchild squirm. Hanley supposed she was lucky to turn out as well adjusted as she did.

Mitsuko sighed, "Or, to be more specifically, you didn't want us meeting that dashing swim coach you happen to have a crush on--"

Ah, there it was. She was a fool to think she'd receive leniency today; hell, she was a fool to think she'd be able to get out of the house before Grandma had her fun. Hanley could feel her cheeks grow warm as she stared at her eggs as if they held the meaning of life. Why bother wondering _how_ that woman found out? Chain-smoking old--

"But you would never catch his attention anyway," Mitsuko continued breezily, "even if he were the type to go for young girls, it's not like you have any kind of desirable figure. No breasts at all--"

"Argh!!!" The woman was merciless, going for the throat on the first attack!  
"Gangly with bony hips--"  
"WHY ARE YOU LOOKING?" Hanley shrieked, throwing her empty chawan. Mitsuko easily caught it and calmly set it down on the tatami mat. She was trying very hard not to laugh at Hanley, but it was also obvious she was doing a very bad job of it.

"Don't throw things, dear, it's quite rude. And your follow through was just sloppy on top of that. Besides, I'm just telling the truth. Oh, and before I forget, your friend Eriko phoned. They'll be by to pick you up for practice at 1130."

Hanley growled and looked at the clock, "T-That's in ten minutes! Warn me sooner!" Hanley sighed and tried to calm down. If she hurried, she could get dressed and _try_ to flatten her bangs in only a few minutes; hopefully she wouldn't keep Eriko-sempai and the others waiting too long, and hopefully she'd be gone before Grandma found something else to laugh at her about.  
Mitsuko rolled her eyes. "You're going to go swim, just put on your suit--"

"It's the principle, Grandma! Look at my hair!"

"Oh, so _that's_ you hair. And here I thought something had crawled up there and died and you let it stay out of pity."

"...Why do you torment me?"

Mitsuko opened her mouth to answer, no doubt very prepared to tell her why her suffering was absolutely hilarious, but she was interrupted by the front door slamming open with a loud crack.

"I'm home, my lovelies!" a deep, raspy voice called from the foyer.

"Wasn't he supposed to be here hours ago?" Hanley asked as her grandfather ambled in, laden down with his fishing gear and a few bags. His favorite tackle box was perched precariously on top and looked ready to fall over at any second.

'Geez they smell, he must have caught something.' she thought. Amano Hiroto was a short, thick set man with a small goatee and a face that was well worn and wrinkled from years of sailing and fishing off the coasts. When the townspeople, including his small family, were feeling charitable, they would typically describe his personality as "carefree."

Except Mitsuko; then again, Mitsuko didn't believe in charity.

Hiroto had only retired recently, and if one asked Mitsuko's opinion, he now spent his time playing with toy boats and generally being a nuisance. Evidence of his newfound hobby could be found scattered around the house and grounds, and Hanley couldn't remember a time when he wasn't lecturing her on different ship types and other lore.

Not that she retained any of it. Though to her credit, she certainly tried.

"Maybe if we ignore him, he'll go away. You know what they say about strays, dear." Mitsuko said with a sigh of long suffering.

Hiroto only laughed and placed his bags by the kitchen table. "You are looking as bright and lovely as the morning, my love--"  
"Before you start that, did you get it?" Mitsuko knew she had to nip that rant in the bud before he warmed up. It was sweet, but he tended to go on and on if you let him.

Hiroto huffed and began to dig through his parcels, "I got it, I got it. Do you see how she treats me, Han-chan?"

"I don't think that nickname quite works anymore, Grandpa," Hanley replied obediently. "More importantly, is that my birthday gift??" Her fingers definitely weren't twitching in anticipation.

"Hold on, hold on...there." Hiroto pulled out a small package wrapped in blue paper and tied in a bow.

Mitsuko blinked and puffed on her cigarette, "So you did get it. I'm quite impressed with you."

"Oh, do I get a reward?"

"Um, ew, no." Hanley interrupted as she tore open the paper. That was something she wasn't even going to consider; it'd be a sad birthday if she was permanently traumatized. Hiroto merely ruffled her hair, cheerfully ignoring her indignant shriek, and made himself comfortable on the cushion beside his wife. Mitsuko kindly gave him a small kiss as a proper greeting, causing him to grin widely. Hanley rolled her eyes and resumed ripping the gift a new one.

"Aya, and I spent such a long time on that! That's what took me so long, you know." Hiroto told his wife.  
Mitsuko snorted incredulously, "That tiny box can't be the reason you were two hours late."

"Well, I also had to find the charm itself. And I had to find the box to put it in. It's pretty nice, I think, the carvings bring out the--"

"I love it!" Hanley squealed as she took out the necklace. It was quite simple, consisting of a small magatama made up of a dark blue stone on a sturdy silver chain. "Where did you get it? I don't think I've seen this sort of stone before. It wasn't expensive, was it--"

"Goodness girl, take a breath!" interrupted Mitsuko. "And, to be technical, it didn't cost us a bit. We

were just waiting to give that to you at the right time."

Hanley looked down at the magatama resting in the palm of her hand. The right time? Does that mean this was some sort of family heirloom? The stone didn't look like jadeite at least. Thank goodness, she would have felt awkward wearing that sort of jewelry—her nerves wouldn't be able to stand it. She certainly liked precious stones, but she never had a pressing urge to own them; well, that was only because she was too paranoid that she'd lose them somehow. However, the small charm did feel odd to her somehow. It was strange, something so small that could fit in the palm of her hand could cause her stomach to clench in anticipation.

Or nausea, but Hanley was sincerely hoping it was anticipation.

She ran her fingers over the smooth stone, nearly cursing in surprise when she felt a gentle shock on her fingertips. Hanley wasn't the superstitious sort, but she could swear there was something funny about the freaky little thing.

Hanley didn't notice her grandmother watching her with an odd look on her face, and even Hiroto hesitated before speaking, "Listen, Han-chan, that magatama is very special. It's looks like you've noticed that much. Er, _how_ special or why we are not sure. But we do know it was left by your father."

Hanley's head shot up, her eyes wide from shock. The subject of Hanley's father was never really spoken of in the household. It's not exactly taboo, but neither grandparent wanted to risk causing unnecessary pain and drama. There was not a picture of Hanley's father, nor a hint of who he was or where he had gone, if he was even alive. The prevailing attitude now was that he had been dead for years (in Hanley's mind that was better than being alive and simply not caring enough to contact her). She had her fantasies, of course, but it was never the same as reality. When she was even younger, she really missed him even though he may as well have never existed.

Now this happened, literally out of _nowhere_.

She forced her fingers to relax once she realized she had clenched her hands into fists. The magatama remained cool to the touch, still thrumming gently with unknown energy.

'I must be imagining it,' Hanley thought, attempting to regain her balance, 'it's not alive anyway. And this was dad's? Why am I just now getting it, did they think I wasn't old enough or something? Why leave this thing instead of a note or something like a normal person?'

"I'm alright," Hanley finally responded after a long, awkward silence, "I'm just surprised, really. And confused, but that's nothing new, so..." Her attempt at humor fell flat, but Mitsuko and Hiroto gave her wide smiles regardless.

"That's much better," Hiroto sighed in relief, "we waited because, well, we were worried about your feelings. You were quite unpredictable when you were younger."

Unpredictable was pure understatement. The lack of a mother was one thing; the fact her father could have been some low-life gang banger for all anyone knew was a serious point of insecurity, and she was quite mean when she was younger as a result. She was the only one in their small school that didn't have either parent, much less not know who one of them was. Simply mentioning her father caused tantrums. Hanley couldn't remember it all, but it must have been bad when she, herself, realized how self-absorbed and mean she was. The reasons for it mattered little, as her grandmother often scolded. Even now she still grew angry over the unfairness of it all. Hanley shouldn't be so surprised they waited. She had certainly thrown things in a flash of temper before. No wonder they didn't give her a precious belonging of his.

Hanley had to believe it was precious to him.

Hanley caressed the stone once more before putting the chain around her neck. It wasn't that long, causing the magatama to lay just below the collarbone. It felt heavy, far heavier than it looked for some odd reason. The magatama was a dead weight around her neck, and Hanley actually felt a little nervous wearing it. No, that was silly, even sillier than thinking it had some spooky kind of energy field. If she wanted that kind of excitement, she'd cut on the small television and catch an anime. As it stood, her friends would be here soon—hell, they were five minutes late—so she needed to get ready. Magic magatama and mysterious gifts from mysterious parents could wait.

"I love it, thank you for giving it to me. My father--" she trailed off.

"I am sure," Mitsuko said, "there was a reason why he left it. He had given it to your mother, and she passed it along to us before she died."

That was another bit of exceedingly cliché, yet utterly depressing, drama in her life, and Hanley definitely didn't feel like going down that route either.

'I need to get over this bad mood. I'm giving the room a bad atmosphere, and I don't want to make them upset over someone I've never seen and who's never been there. I'll act better once I get back this evening.' It was a promise she often made to herself—and one that was often bent if not outright broken—but she continued to try. With that decided, Hanley collected the box her gift came in and stood.

"I'll go get dressed. I'll probably hang out with my friends after practice," she brightly. It was her birthday, she wasn't going to get moody on her damned birthday! She had her friends, her family, her health, and soon, cake. You couldn't do better than that.

Okay, technically you could, but she was trying to be mature and stuff.

"Don't spend too long out today, your grandfather won't give me any cake until you're here." Cake was obviously a serious priority of Mitsuko's as well. Not surprising—Hiroto, of all people, made a damn good double layer chocolate.

"I won't, I won't, I'll be right back." Was her favorite suit clean, now that she thought about it? She had already picked out what she wanted to wear the night before—now she just had to remember if her suit was in the wash or not. Hanley dug through her dresser, her search becoming a bit more frantic when she heard her grandfather happily greeting her friends at the front door. Her bangs were still tangled on her forehead!

In the end she couldn't find the suit, and she also had to clip her bangs down into some semblance of order. She thought she looked pretty cute in her new off white sundress, so it still worked out.

"Han-chan, are you coming??"

"Yes, I'm ready!" she called in reply, grabbing her tote and dashing to the front door. Hanley waved when she spotted her three friends.

Of the three, Yamamoto Hitomi and Nagano Natsuhiko have been her friends even before primary despite her meanness, and all three were the children of fishermen. Natsuhiko was the only one interested in the family business, and had already joined his father on two minor fishing trips. Hanley met Matsuda Eriko when she expressed an interest in taking swimming classes at the local recreational center. Eriko was a year older, and was the younger sister of one of the swimming instructors. Hitomi and Natsuhiko were quick to join the classes as well, and the rest was, as they say, history.

"You're so slow, Han," Natsuhiko complained as she hurriedly stuffed her feet into her sneakers without untying the strings, "we were waiting forever."  
Hanley snorted and rolled her eyes at him, "You were also late." Why did she even bother? They didn't even notice the dress.

"Not our fault! He couldn't find his trunks, of all things." Hitomi piped up, eager to place blame on him. Eriko rolled her eyes and grinned at Hanley. Hanley felt her cheeks grow warm and beamed at her.

"Good morning, Eriko-sempai."  
"Good morning, Erikwo-sempwai..." Natsuhiko mocked while Hitomi batted her eyelashes and made faces.

"S-Shut up, or you get no cake!"

"Oi!"  
Hiroto nodded, his face serious. "Indeed. I cannot condone giving chocolate cake to those that make fun of my granddaughter."

Mitsuko snickered from the background, "I guess we're not getting any cake, either."

Hanley huffed and gently grabbed Eriko's wrist.

"Let's go, they'll catch up."

Eriko giggled, "Yup, and then we'll eat all of the cake ourselves."

"Take care, Han-chan!" Her grandfather called.

"Come back soon, remember!" added her grandmother, mind still clearly on the cake.

"See you later!" she answered as they dashed outside, followed closely by the whining Hitomi and Natsuhiko. By this point, Hanley had managed to get her blush under control. She slowed down to allow Eriko to fix her clothes and tighten her ponytail, as well as grudgingly allow Hitomi and Natsuhiko to catch up. So what if she admired Eriko? She was lovely, petite, smart, popular, and very kind. Hanley knew she probably counted on Eriko's support and friendship a bit more than she should, but how could she not? Eriko was so easy to like and talk to; in her lesser moments, it was something Hanley would become jealous over.

"Happy birthday, Han-chan. That's a very pretty dress." Eriko smiled as they waited. But now, Hanley could only be grateful for her.

Hanley's blush returned and she scratched her head in embarrassment.

"Oh, thanks..."

"We have a surprise for you, as a matter of fact," Eriko continued, not noticing Hanley's darkening face, "I hope you'll like it. Natsu-kun said you would."

'Oh hell, what did he do?' thought Hanley. Still, she found herself smiling at the thought. They were her first and only friends. Hanley was never that good at making friends—her size and her, um, forcefulness (as noted by the villagers and her family when they were feeling charitable), made it a little hard to get along with the other kids. They were warming up now that she wasn't being a terror, and have even invited her places, but that didn't change the fact that Eriko, Natsuhiko, and Hitomi were very dear to her.

Even if Hitomi and Natsuhiko drove her crazy.

Natsuhiko and Hitomi had caught up to them by then, and both were quick to scold the two for dashing off. Eriko looked apologetic, but Hanley waved her hand in a dismissive gesture.

"You're here now. So, let's get going, we're already late and Eriko's brother will get irritated."

"I bet you'd hate that," Hitomi muttered in annoyance.

"Shut up!" she found herself saying that quite a lot around those two. Surely that was some sort of sign.

"Hm? What's wrong?" Eriko asked, looking confused.  
Natsuhiko snickered and shrugged, "If you haven't got it by now you never will. We got plenty of time, Han. And, look what I got!" He pulled out a tattered paperback book from his bag. From what Hanley could see, it was some kind of manga volume—she couldn't tell what it was at first glance due to the missing cover. Natsuhiko wasn't exactly the tidiest person in their group, and his things became dirty very, very quickly.

Hanley took the volume and blinked. The art was, at first glance, ugly. The proportions were weird and exaggerated, even more than normal considering the type of stylized art usually found in manga. The eyes had to be the oddest to her, and was up with their limbs? And the leg hair on the men was certainly interesting. It was, all in all, pretty funky.

'One Piece, huh...' Hanley thought. 'I've heard of it, but...'

How in the world did this guy get published?

Hanley flipped through the volume, skimming through the pages as the group of friends made their way down the rest of the stone steps onto the main road. After a few minutes of scanning, Hanley admitted the art wasn't as bad as she initially thought—it was so unique it had thrown her for a second. She didn't really pay attention to the story, however. She gathered it was centered around pirates, and some guys named Shanks and Luffy, but it didn't take long before her attention began to wander. This sort of thing really wasn't for her, after all. She checked her watch with a sigh. It was nearly noon, and while Hakube was pretty small, they wouldn't make it to the center on time at this rate.

"It's the best," Natsuhiko all but gushed as they walked, "I can't wait to get the next issue. I was hoping to go after our bo—I mean, after practice today. See, it's about this kid named Monkey D. Luffy and how he wants to become Pirate King--"  
"I got that much." Hanley said as she closed the book. "Not interested."

"Oh, I forgot, you only like _Western_ stuff."

Eriko frowned in disapproval, "Hush, Natsu-kun."

Natsuhiko blushed and smiled, "Oh, I'm sorry, Sempai! Geez, Han, try to be more ladylike like Sempai, won't you?"  
"Bastard..." Hanley hissed and turned to hit him with his own manga.

"Oh, what's that?" asked Hitomi, pointing to the magatama, finally noticing the jewel around her neck. To be honest, Hanley somehow managed to forget about it herself; now that it entered her mind once more, that same heaviness seemed to drag at her neck. For a moment, she had to resist the urge to let her head and shoulders slump downwards.

'Is this thing temperamental??'

Eriko peered closer and gasped. "It's so lovely, Han-chan! Did your grandparents give it to you?"

Hanley could not help but preen a bit at the attention. She gave the magatama a soft pat.

"Yes, but more importantly, they said that my father left it for me." Hanley's mood threatened to dip, but Eriko's pleased smile at that piece of news caused it to rebound spectacularly.

"That's so wonderful! See, I told you he cared. He is your father, after all."

"Yeah..."

Natsuhiko leaned in for a better look, the bangs of his short cut briefly obstructed his view. Unlike Hitomi and Eriko, Natsuhiko could actually look her in the eye without having to crane his head back.

"It is pretty nice. Is it some kind of heirloom?"

Hitomi nodded, "Yeah, aren't authentic magatama kinda ancient or something? It certainly looks like the real thing, too! I bet you could sell it for..." she trailed off at Eriko's and Hanley's looks. "...not that you want to or anything. I'm just saying you should get it appraised."

"Yeah, I mean, what if it's just some copy from a gift shop--"

"Even if it is, my father left it for me. If this was all that he could manage, then that's the end of it." Truth be told, Hanley had considered some of same things as well when she was getting ready that morning. She highly doubted it was an authentic period piece, and it wasn't as if she was that religious either. Her stupid fantasizing about her father's identity was starting to act up again. She had thought she stopped doing that a while ago, but it seemed she still couldn't help it. Was she _ever _a glutton for punishment. Even if it would be awesome if her father was some kind of Indiana Jones-like archaeologist. Did he find it at a grave site? As part of a Buddhist monk's belongings?

'How stupid can I get? Besides, my grandparents are more than enough.'

Eriko lightly touched her hand and pointed. "We're nearly there."

Hanley blinked and frowned in confusion. The layout of the town was very simple. The main road ran along the coast line and connected nearly all of Hakube. There were very many side roads that branched off of it—the second largest street that held most of the stores and restaurants and bars, another that cut off into several smaller roads generally led to the houses, another for the high school and recreational center—but somehow they'd taken the wrong turn and were heading to the harbor. That just couldn't be right, practice was always held at the indoor swimming pool.

"Where are we going? I thought--"

Her friends were all grinning in excitement, and soon Hanley could figure out why.

Up ahead was Daisuke, Eriko's older brother and one of the swim instructors for their class. He taught the younger children as well as their age group, and was also the captain of the high school men's team. He had already led his team to several competitions and victories, on top of having very good looks and holding one of the top spots of his class academically. Hanley's heart beat faster at the sight of him. Was there just something in the Matsuda DNA? The whole family seemed to be talented—they had an older brother who was attending Tokyo University at that very moment.

Hanley glanced sideways at Eriko, who was smiling and waving at her brother, and felt that familiar flash of envy. It wasn't just the looks and smarts, really...

Hitomi was excitedly dragging her toward Daisuke, who jumped off the boat and walked up to greet them.

"Yo! Is that our birthday girl?"

Hanley wheezed softly and tried to answer; hopefully, it would be something intelligent and/or witty that would no doubt impress him with her maturity.

"Ee. Yeah." Riveting.

Daisuke didn't seem to notice her shyness as he greeted the rest of them. Hanley faintly heard Natsuhiko muttering about that obliviousness being hereditary. She had to clench her hands to keep from reaching back and smacking him.

'Not in front of sensei,' she thought frantically, 'not in front of Daisuke-sensei, not in front of Daisuke-sensei--'

Daisuke crossed his arms and tilted his head. "You're a little late, though. I was this close to leaving you all and eating the food for myself."

Eriko laughed, "No you weren't. Mother would have punished you for that."

"Huh, wha?" Hanley stuttered as she looked at her friends. Now that she was thinking more clearly, why was their _instructor_ here as well?

Daisuke smiled down at her.

'ARGH, they even have the same dimples!'

"So, what do you think?"  
"Great!" Hanley said quickly, without thinking. Then she blushed, "Um, but what exactly do I find so great?" She grew warmer when she heard Natsuhiko and Hitomi nearly kill themselves laughing at her.

'I'm starting to think that I need better friends.' The thought held no heat, and Hanley had to bite back a small grin at the burst of affection she felt for the two nuts.

"Your birthday gift, of course. A ride and picnic on the family yacht." Daisuke gave the boat, Rakumaru, a loving pat. "I don't think you've seen it, have you?"

"N-No...it's very nice...the design is, um, a sloop, right?" Hanley gave the main sail and jib another look. She was pretty sure her grandfather mentioned something like that before.

"Hey, you know your stuff," Daisuke said, looking pleasantly surprised. Hanley could barely keep from smiling like an idiot. Poor guy—like Eriko he was very nice, but spending a free day carting little kids around probably wasn't on the top of his list of things to do. Hanley made a mental note to thank her grandpa and his silly toy boats—no, _model_ boats. Daisuke helped her aboard and, once he was sure they had settled down, began to untie and make preparations to disembark.

"Rakumaru is powered by sail and motor," Daisuke continued as he hopped aboard, "it's a little small, but very reliable."

"Do you need any help?" Natsuhiko asked, puffing his chest out slightly. No doubt he was eager to show off what he learned on the trips with his father.

"Thanks, but I have it," Daisuke said as he maneuvered Rakumaru out of the harbor, "maybe when we get to open water. I'm planning on switching to the main sail at that point. It's a very nice day."

"You're so lucky, Han-chan," Eriko said as she checked the food, "I looked at the forecast this morning—clear skies all day long. I was worried because it was raining so hard yesterday."

Hitomi nodded, "It came out of nowhere, didn't it? I wonder what it was."

"Hey now, the sea is a fickle thing." Natsuhiko intoned, nodding seriously.

"Ugh, will you look at this guy? Calm down, Natsu-kun."

"Captain Natsuhiko, Hitomi, call me captain."

"Geez..."

Eriko laughed at the both of them, and even Daisuke had a smirk on his face as he expertly piloted the craft across the waves. Hanley sighed and tried to tone down on her love sickness. Sure, Daisuke didn't see her that way, she was only ten years old, but that didn't mean she couldn't indulge a bit. And who knows, maybe when she got older she could give it a try?

Well, if he hadn't found a perfect wife by that point.

After a while Daisuke halted the craft, and double checked their bearings. If she squinted, Hanley could make out the gray outline of the coast; it would seem that Daisuke didn't want to take them out too terribly far. He weighed anchor and checked the fastening of the sails before joining them. Eriko was already setting out the containers that held the food. Hanley rubbed her stomach when it growled appreciatively. Her breakfast of eggs and ketchup seemed hours ago. She began mentally staking her claim. If she knew Natsu, and she did, he would be the one to watch.

It was a good sized meal with quite a bit of Hanley's favorites. Shrimp and squid were in abundance, as were fried gyoza and onigiri. It was an unusual assortment. Hanley didn't know how Eriko's and Daisuke's mother put it together and still make it look presentable.

"I had to ask your grandmother what you liked to eat, and Mother took care of the rest." Eriko explained as she popped open a can of tea.

"It's really nice, thank you." Hanley said, touched they went through the trouble.

"Well, you've had a tough year, right?"  
Hanley shuddered, "I thought we agreed never to mention that math grade. Grandma's so strict even Takamura-sensei looked sorry that he failed me. Well, it doesn't matter. Summer classes don't start in a few weeks, so I have the time to think hard about my failures and how disappointed my grandparents are."

"Oh, don't put yourself down like that."

"No, that's what Grandma said."

"Don't mind! I'll be right beside you, Han." Natsuhiko piped up around a mouthful of shrimp fried rice. Hitomi squealed a bit when she was sprayed with chewed bits of shrimp.

"Wow, how can I not be relieved?" she muttered. It was partially his fault her math score was so low to begin with, silly boy. She playfully nudged him and quickly stole his shrimp. She happily ignored his whining as she giggled with Hitomi. They chatted for a while, largely about the cute boy in the next class over—pointedly cooing to watch Natsuhiko make faces.

Daisuke laughed at him, "You won't be thinking that way for long."

"I'll think it until I die!" Natsuhiko replied forcefully.

"It won't be long then. Did you see the eyes he was making at Mariko-chan?" Hanley slyly told Hitomi and Eriko.

"No, really??" Hitomi gasped, turning to him.

Natsuhiko sputtered. "Han! Don't be like that! I told you I had something in my eye."

"That caused you to look in her direction for long tracks of time? Yeah, right!"

When Hanley moved to take another bit of Natsuhiko's food, she saw Eriko's concerned look.

'That silly worrier.' Hanley thought.

Hanley grinned, "I'm not even upset anymore, really!" Eriko still looked reluctant so Hanley continued. "I just wish I was as good in school as Sempai."

Eriko looked at her in surprise, "Really? But I always wish I were more like--"

Daisuke popped the last gyoza into his mouth and opened a large tackle box. "Hey, who wants to do some fishing?"

Natsuhiko immediately volunteered, nearly knocking the swim coach over in excitement. Hitomi also looked interested, but decided to refrain from causing bodily harm.

'I wonder what she was going to say,' Hanley thought as Eriko crossed over to join them.

**********

Amano Hiroto

If there was one thing in life Hiroto enjoyed, it was being a grandparent. It was something he never thought he would experience, and after ten years he never regretted taking Hanley in as their own. He knew Mitsuko felt the same; although neither were sure if they were doing a good job or just setting her up for the mad house.

Oh well, it was something all of them were going to find out someday!

The cake was now in its final stages and nearing completion. If you asked him, presentation was half of the battle, which is why he spent the past half hour carefully smoothing and arranging the icing. After he finally got it looking the way he thought was acceptable, he went to the small fridge and began digging for the strawberries he hid the night before. He had wanted them nice and chilled to top the cake, but something told him he had better check on them.

'Strange, though, I can't seem to find them. I know they were here this morning before I left the house. I wonder...' Hiroto straightened and looked at his wife. She was still in the same position as she was that morning, on her third cigarette and a cup of tea in her hand. He didn't like suspecting her, but this was important, and she was the most likely suspect.

"Dear, where are my strawberries?"

Mitsuko flinched and took a sip of her tea. The suspicious silence told him everything.

"What strawberries?" she finally answered, not looking at him. His wife was many things, but innocent certainly wasn't even on the list, much less near the top. One of the reasons why he married her, really.

"Please tell me you didn't eat them when I specifically said they were for Hanley's cake."

"Then I won't."

She ate them. She destroyed them and his masterpiece.

Hiroto sighed and shrugged. The market was just a five minute walk if he cut through the back and headed down the old, wooden steps leading from the shrine. Perhaps it was better this way—they would be quite fresh. He'll just keep telling himself that.

Mitsuko looked vaguely uncomfortable, "I am sorry, I forgot about that until I was halfway through them." Hiroto couldn't help but smile at her.

"Don't worry about it, love, I'll just get some more. I'll buy extra this time," he headed into the foyer and slipped on his sandals, "while I'm out, what else would you like—oh shit!" The moment he tried to take a step the thong on his sandal snapped right off, leaving him to face plant into the wall. Hiroto was quick enough to catch himself to absorb some of the shock, but he was still stunned from cracking his nose on the door frame. He gingerly touched the bridge of his nose as he checked himself for blood. Dammit, these were his favorite pair! Hell, they were actually his only pair.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Mitsuko asked as she came up, helping him sit on the low step. She looked concerned as she inspected him for injuries. Hiroto basked in that a little before giving himself a mental shake. He was a man, dammit.

"I'm fine, I'm fine, I just tripped." He picked up his broken sandal with a sigh. "The strap just broke for no damn reason. Guess I'll have to borrow Han-chan's—I'm going to get a little worried if she gets any bigger. If this keeps up she'll be rampaging across Shinjuku by age 20."

Mitsuko didn't reply, she was too busy staring at the broken leather strap. Hiroto grimaced a bit and quickly placed the sandal aside.

"It doesn't mean anything, just a bit of bad luck. She'll be home soon, and then we can celebrate her birthday properly. You've finished wrapping her other gift, right?"

Mitsuko nodded and laughed, "Yes, you're right—folly and superstition. And I'm done with that, it's on the table."

"I'll be back soon to help with decorations. I can't believe she's ten already. Time really does fly." Hiroto stood and adjusted Hanley's sandals. It was a bit of a tight fit, but they would do until Mitsuko fixed his. He glanced at the sky and frowned when he saw it was suddenly and steadily darkening.

"I better make the trip a quick one. Han-chan will love it."

**********

Amano Hanley

Hanley didn't believe it could happen, but one moment the sun was bright and the skies were clear, and the next they were in the middle of a sudden squall. They were left to scramble for cover from the sudden downpour while Daisuke quickly made his way toward the motor. The wind, which was once a gentle breeze, quickly grew in strength, churning up the water and soon Rakumaru was being tossed about as if it were nothing more than a dinghy.

Hanley couldn't hear anything but the roar in her ears, even though she was positive she was screaming her head off from sheer terror. The water was constantly deluding the deck, and the wind stung her face and made it difficult to see. She had no idea where her friends were.

'Oh shit, what if they were thrown overboard? Oh no, oh no, what do I do I'm so scared--'

Hanley's fingers slipped from the rope and she slammed into the side of the boat. She hissed in pain and curled up on her side, dazed. She looked up and managed to make out Daisuke's shape as he fought with the motor. It wasn't responding at all from what she could barely tell.

"Eriko-sempai?? Natsu-kun?? Hitomi-chan??" No luck, her voice didn't carry at all.

The vessel spun around and around, keeping her mashed against the floor. She was going to be sick, oh hell, they were going to die she didn't want to die--

"HANLEY!" she felt Daisuke pick her up and hold her close, and in her panic she had to wonder what kind of luck she had that this was the only way he would. Her side was in absolute agony, contrasting with her cold and quickly numbing skin. It made it difficult to breathe on top of her paralyzing fear. She clutched Daisuke close, her nails were no doubt digging into his skin, but she couldn't make herself do much more than whimper and try to breathe.

Hanley's eyes were shut, so she wasn't sure what Daisuke was doing—he was stumbling and calling out and she was probably only making it more difficult for him but at that moment she didn't care at all. She managed to pry one hand off and clutched her magatama. It was burning hot and it hurt, but she couldn't force herself to let go. This was definitely the time for prayer, if nothing else.

She felt a rough hand grab her ankle, causing her to finally open her eyes. Natsuhiko was staring at her and yelling something, but she couldn't make it out. He was white faced and his face was contorted in pain and terror. It was terrible to look at. Hanley could only stare at him and then her eyes moved to his mangled leg.

She was too shocked to feel anything more than a sickening lurch of horror at the sight of it.

Daisuke lurched forward, somehow keeping a hold of her while he attempted to grab Natsuhiko as well. Hitomi and Eriko were nowhere to be found, and the yacht was only so big--

'Oh fuck they're dead oh god--'

Something had to give, and it wasn't long before a gigantic wave swept Rakumaru upward. For a moment, Hanley felt weightless—she was staring down into the sea below and the deck of the yacht was actually behind her. They were all airborne, with Natsuhiko still having a firm grip on her calf and ankle and Daisuke's arm was painfully clutched around her middle. She didn't know whether they fell in or if the water rose up to swallow them; Natsuhiko disappeared for a split second before she slammed face first into the sea.

*

The first sensation Hanley felt when she awoke was blistering heat and sun. When she fully regained consciousness, she could even tell how bright it was from behind her closed eyelids. She lay on her back, which was partially submerged in water while her front felt achingly dry. Her lips were chapped and she may as well as had cotton filling her mouth as it was dry and her tongue felt uncomfortably large. She tried to wet her lips, but it was a largely futile effort, only serving to cause them to pull painfully and crack even more. Her side was now throbbing furiously, and her calf stung from Natsuhiko's nails.

Hanley opened her eyes and moved her head to the side. She was in the middle of the ocean. She lay on a hard, curved surface—most likely a large piece of the Rakumaru.

Her head was pounding.

After a while, Hanley managed to turn onto her uninjured side in an attempt to protect herself from the sun, but she could already feel her skin pull and pinch. Even with her dark skin it was possible to get sunburned, especially out in the middle of the ocean with no shelter. Her dress was in tatters, her shoes were gone; however, more importantly, she was all alone. Her green eyes scanned frantically over the water. There was not a soul out here, not a hint of the coastline or anything. Hanley let out a strangled sob and pressed her hands to her eyes.

She was alone.

How could she have survived that? Every bone in her body should have shattered upon impact, and that was before drowning.

"Sempai! Natsu-kun!" Water, she needed something to drink she was going to die, "Hitomi-chan...Daisuke-sensei!..."

'I'm going to die. I wish I died when I hit the water, that would have been less painful.'

Hanley curled up into a ball, sobbing softly and desperately clinging to whatever rationality she had left. Her nails dug into her arms but that was nothing compared to starving or dehydrating—she was so thirsty, how long had she lay out here, exposed?

Lifting her head, Hanley felt her magatama fall to the front and lay against her collarbone. It was cool now, and silent—what the hell she was going crazy.

"Someone..."

**********

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,

a tale of a fateful trip.

That started from this tropic port,

aboard this tiny ship...

Was it awful I was humming that song the entire part of the last half of the chapter? I've come to two conclusions when I finished this: one, I'm long winded with a flair for the dramatic, and two, apparently I have an inner loathing for children.

So my little tale has begun! I wonder how it'll turn out. I should have thought of that beforehand. It's also unbeta-ed, but that's hardly an excuse, I think.

Anyway, naturally reviews are welcome, but concrit even more so! Feel free to let me know if I'm pulling it off. Or, feel free to let me know if I'm doing badly. Obviously, don't put that in the form of a flame, if you don't mind.

~Nibelung Velocity


	2. Captain Shanks

Yes, I uploaded two chapters at once.

Originally, this was all going to go into one chapter, but then I realized it was getting pretty long and hell, it's just a prologue. Then I thought it'd be wrong to just leave it as it was, so I went ahead and uploaded both parts. I guess you can call it a "first fanfic special"! I hope you enjoy.

No pressing warnings for this chapter.

_Hanley_

Chapter 1: Shanks, Red Hair or the Best Damned Dye-Job She's Ever Seen?

**********

Red-Haired Shanks

It was very early. The sky was a steel gray, becoming increasingly lighter as the sun began to peek over the horizon. Shanks stood alone on the deck of his ship, taking in the sight of the sky and sea in the morning. He yawned and scratched his chest as he leaned over the ship's railing. His signature straw hat was tilted at a precarious angle on his head as she stared sightlessly at the dark, still waters. This was the best time of day, and if he wasn't too tired or recovering from various job-related injuries (or, to be completely and totally honest with himself, thoroughly drunk and/or hung-over), he typically made it a point to head above deck and watch the sunrise.

It was the best time to reflect, after all. He and his men were often pretty rowdy, and early morning was one of the few times the ship was relatively silent. Quietly taking in the feel and smell of the sea meant more to him than he could ever express—it was the simple things in life that made it worth living.

During these early morning walks Shanks always took a moment to stop and think about his life. He brooded over many things: the notions of freedom and liberty, the true purpose of piracy that was more than just looting and fighting, the vastness of the oceans. However, at this very moment as he stared out at that glorious sea, Shanks was quite concerned about their dwindling supply of sake. Ruminating over the philosophical ramifications of piracy in contemporary society took a back seat to a perfectly fermented rice wine. The rum barrels were already bone dry.

"Why do we always run out of rum?" Shanks grumbled as he heaved himself into a standing position. They would just have to hold out until they made it back to their temporary base at Fuschia.

'This is the time when we must gather our strength and persevere. Such hardship we are facing!' Shanks thought as he idly roamed the top deck. No party was complete without a good supply of alcohol. Yet, no matter what he did, they always seemed to be in danger of going dry. He rather hoped he wouldn't be forced to place limits on their stock.

No, that was crazy talk. It was already starting to affect him.

"Oi, Captain Shanks!" the lookout called down from his position in the crow's nest. Shanks looked upward gave a small wave in return. It was one of the newer apprentices on duty this morning; watch was always rotated among the non-officers, although it wasn't uncommon for Shanks or his closest mates to take up the duty if the whim overtook them. If the nostalgia became particularly strong, he would often work beside his crew, hauling and scrubbing and doing whatever he pleased.

It never ceased to amuse him how surprised they looked whenever he did it.

Shanks pushed back his hat and grinned, "Need any help up there?"  
"N-No, sir!" The boy answered. "I have it under control, thank you, sir!"

"My, my, such enthusiastic youth we have today..." Shanks sighed. It was just as well. The Golden Age rested on the backs of young dreamers; of course, not that he, himself, was old. In any case, should he head to the galley and get an early breakfast? Or return to his cabin? Damn could he use a little early morning "pick-me-up" right now.

"C-Captain!"

Shanks blinked at the boy's startled tone. "Hm? Is something wrong? Do you wish to switch after all?"

"No, sir! There's someone in the water, sir!" The apprentice paused to adjust his spyglass, "it appears to be a young girl, sir!"

Oh, that's no good. "Where?"  
"Port, sir!"

'I am making a mental note: tell the boy to stop calling me, 'sir.'

The ship was beginning to stir from the shouting, and it was but a moment later that Yasopp appeared from below deck, rubbing his eyes sleepily and holding a bottle filled with a suspicious dark brown liquid.

"Is that—no, now is not the time," Shanks muttered to himself. "Yasopp, come here, won't you?"

Yasopp yawned as he approached, climbing up to stand beside him, "What's all this about, Captain?"

"Lookout reports seeing a girl on the water, but she's too far for me to make out." They were standing near the port bow, facing aft. Shanks pointed to what appeared to be a small, dark smudge on the water. Confirming the sight was made even more difficult by the fact the sun was to their backs but had yet to rise. "Do you have your glass?"

"Aye, of course." Yasopp replied, moving to action. He usually kept his collapsible telescope on him, right beside his trusty flintlock. He pulled it out and adjusted it with practiced ease.

"He's right. Young girl on a piece of debris. Possibly part of a wreck."  
Shanks frowned thoughtfully, "A trap, do you think?"

It was an old trick, one that many pirates and even marines weren't afraid of using. They would set a decoy out at sea, usually a woman or child, to draw in other ships. The decoys could be prisoners or crewmen, and were usually dead more often than not. It didn't work very well on open water; however, if there were obstructions, an island chain or fog for example, the enemy vessel could lie in wait. It was a slim possibility, but there was also the chance that someone had caught wind of their general location in these waters. Shanks himself never used it, but he admitted it was a good way to put ships into a canon's sights, or, if not that, force the vessel closer so it could be engaged.

The _Red Dawn_ was currently anchored by such an island, with high cliffs that limited visibility. It was a calculated risk on his part to anchor here, really, as it obviously worked the other way around as well.

"Is she moving?" Shanks asked.  
Yasopp shook his head. "She isn't. What are your orders?" What he wanted to do was obvious. Yasopp had a large soft spot for children in general, and it was only protocol that kept him from diving overboard to get her. Shanks smiled.

"What do you think? Send out a dinghy a pick her up." Trap or not, he couldn't call himself a man if he left a little girl out there to die from exposure. If it was a set up, they would deal with it as usual.

Yasopp grinned and nodded. "You heard him, pick up the pace!"

"Oh, and someone had better wake up our doctor. He'll be having a patient very soon."

'I hope that girl's not dead.'

**********

Amano Hanley

Hanley had no idea how long she lay on that piece of fiberglass, baking under the intense sun. At first she had desperately paddled in a random direction, terror enabling her to ignore her aching ribs and thirst. Soon, however, her strength had quickly run out, and it became clear that she wasn't making much progress at all. All she could do was drift helplessly along the current.

She was so hot. But she was too scared to move off of her makeshift raft—what if she caused it to go under? What if there were sharks just waiting to rip a limb off? She just didn't have the strength to swim or churn water. And who knows how long she was knocked out before she even came to? A while, probably, if her dry mouth was any indication.

Hanley had sobbed for the first several hours after awakening, but after a while she gave up on that as well.

'I don't want to die, I don't want to die, please don't let me die--'

The mantra ran in her head over and over as she lay there with burned skin and matted hair. The wreckage wasn't that large, so she spent the majority of her time carefully splashing water onto herself, even if she couldn't actually drink it.

'Is this the time to worry about my hair? I'm in hell, aren't I? There's nothing out here I'm going to go thirsty forever I don't think I was bad...'

The hours passed her by in a daze. There were some stretches of time where she even forgot where she was and why she was trying to keep cool. Hanley could only groan in relief when the sun began to go down, finally. The day had seemed to last the better part of forever. It was one less thing to contend with, if nothing else. Luckily it wasn't that cold, but she still shivered from hunger and weakness.

She shifted on her back, too scared too sleep, but too tired to remain awake and even more scared of somehow drowning if she passed out. The magatama lay heavily on her neck, preventing her from lifting her head more than a few centimeters.

The welfare of the others didn't even cross her consciousness at this point.

'Please let me live...just let me live and get out of this and go home. I want my grandma, I want my grandpa—just let me live!'

No one and nothing answered her, not that she expected it, so she finally had to allow herself to go to sleep.

Hanley didn't know how much time has passed, but she still felt exhausted nonetheless when she next came to. Her mind wandered as she tried to make some kind of plan, although the entire situation was starting to feel unreal to her. It was even more difficult to concentrate on a single idea, much less link them together to make a plan that made sense.

Hanley wasn't even planning for long when she thought she felt something approach her. She could even hear them through the roaring in her ears. But was that real? A hallucination?

'Am I dreaming?' Hanley thought tiredly when she felt her body move. She was sure she felt hands on her, picking her up and moving her upwards. She tried to move, but her body had decided it was quite tired of this nonsense and not going to exert more energy than absolutely needed.

'Maybe I've finally died...maybe...' She heard muddled voices. Grown men, as they were deep and rough.

Hanley barely managed to crack open her eyes. She couldn't see much, it was blurry and her vision was tinted in white, like snow on a television. She could make out shapes, though, human like and broad. The one directly above her, though, seemed to have a deep red halo. Odd, weren't they supposed to be gold or something?

Wait, no, not a halo, it was more like a giant red blob. Maybe that was the man's head? A man with a giant red head?

'Men. I think. Am I saved?' Her magatama grew warm.

**********

Red-Haired Shanks

"You didn't have to come." Yasopp said. They had taken a small contingent with them, and the ship was put on alert. They were definitely going to save the girl, but that was no reason not to move ahead cautiously. Well, that's what Ben said at least after he yanked his captain back on board.

"Technically, you didn't have to as well," Shanks replied, grinning softly. His eyes, however, were sharp as they scanned their surroundings. As they approached the girl, he couldn't see a ship as they , but he keep a hand near his saber. He wasn't willing to relax yet.

Yasopp nodded and gave a slight shrug. The men rowed the small boat steadily toward their goal.

'She hasn't stirred in all this time, is it too late?' Shanks thought in concern. He sincerely hoped not, it would be such a waste. Still, if she were gone, at the very least they could provide a decent burial. He'd learned to accept that harsh truth a long time ago. 'Let's just get to her first. If she has any life left in her, we can do something about it.'

Shanks moved to the side as they approached and came to a halt when they neared the driftwood.

"She looks bad," one of the sailors muttered.

"Hold the craft steady," Shanks ordered as he reached forward. The angle was awkward—the sides of the dinghy made it a little difficult to grab her. He had to kneel to make himself low enough to pick her up. "There now, I have you. I'm not the most gentle of men, but that wasn't so bad, eh? You're a lucky girl." He carefully settled back, trying not to jostle her too badly.

The girl was very light and still. She was burned and blistered from the sun, and her lips were horribly cracked and white. Her clothes were in tatters, exposing bruising on her legs and a massive one on her side. Shanks quickly undid his black cape and draped it over her.

Yasopp looked her over. "She's badly dehydrated and I don't like the look of her ankle on top of everything else. But she's alive."

"Then she will live." Shanks answered confidently. "Anyone have any water? Pass it up here, I'm sure she'd appreciate it."

He looked down and blinked when he saw her staring up at him. He doubted she even saw him, however—her eyes were half open and seemed to be unable to focus properly. But they were open, and that was all that mattered at this point. Shanks smiled widely.

"Hey there. We'll have you right soon." The girl only gave a soft wheeze in response before her eyes closed.

"Hey, what the hell is this thing?" One of the crew asked as he lifted the makeshift raft out of the water. He had been hoping it would have some clue to the name of the vessel she was on. At first glance in the dim light, it looked like the highly polished wood from a ship's hull—it still had part of the frame attached. But he had never seen such a material before. It was unnaturally smooth on the exterior, but it wasn't made of metal.

"Never seen anything made out of that."

Yasopp shook his head. "Leave it, it's not important. We need to hurry back."

"Aye, sir!" The men began rowing as fast as they could back to the ship. Soon the doctor will be able to get a proper look. The ship had a well stocked infirmary—it had to, considering the crew involved—but he would still feel better if they got her back to land. They weren't exactly equipped for children. Fuschia Village was closest, but still some days away.

"Do you think it was a pirate attack, Captain?" asked Yasopp as they drew closer to the _Red Dawn_.

"Most likely—there haven't been any major storm systems reported in the area lately. She can't have been out here for that long, either. We'll just have to keep our eyes open."

Still, Shanks could not help but be surprised. The reputation of his crew alone kept the other pirates far away from these waters. Judging from her condition, she can't have been afloat for too terribly long. Dehydration set in quickly out here with no shelter, even faster for the young and the elderly; furthermore, the rate at which the current was moving meant the attack had to have happened relatively close by. East Blue rarely saw turbulent water.

But at the same time, they never saw anything. They never saw any smoke indicative of a pirate attack. Their Den Den Mushi never picked up any distress calls or Marine transmissions of such a thing happening, nor were there any inhabited islands close enough to justify her being out in open water.

The girl was just there.

As they drew closer to the ship Shanks saw Ben lean over the side to lower the rope ladder. He shifted her body so he could hold her comfortably with one arm. He sent Yasopp up first before clambering up the ladder with well-practiced ease.

Lucky Roux was there on top to haul his good friend onto the deck. Yasopp clapped the large man on the back.

"The doctor up?" Yasopp inquired as he took the girl from Shanks. Lucky Roux took a large bite out of his ever present rack of meat and nodded.

"Already settin' up the infirmary."

"Good, I'll head there now."

"The rest of you prepare to set sail!" Shanks ordered as he headed for his cabin.

"AYE!"

Ben Beckman quickly joined his captain, idly shouldering his long rifle.

"Not a trap, then."

"Told you!"

Ben rolled his eyes, "Captain, really, what have I told you about jumping headfirst into things?"

"Not to." came the simple relpy.

"Honestly, I have never seen a man that can recognize the dangers of a situation and then completely disregard them. What were you going to do if there was a ship out there and you were just floating in the water like a sitting duck?"

"Hm, what's that?" asked Shanks distractedly. Ben could only sigh. "Anyway! Now we need to make haste to Fuschia. Not only for the girl, but for our alcohol supply."

"I'm happy to see your priorities are always in place."

"That's right. Speaking of which, did you also see that bottle Yasopp had earlier? Do you suppose he's holding out on us?" Shanks asked as he began to organize the mess on his desk. He had to make a note of the incident in his log. It was a self-imposed requirement more than anything else; his memory wasn't that great for detail, so he did what he could.

"I don't know, Captain."

Shanks shook his head sadly, "Oh, I hope not. It is a captain's worse fear to have to doubt his men." He sighed when he looked at his log. His eyes deftly scanned his notes before stiffening in alarm. There! As he thought, there was a sharp drop in their supply that didn't quite add up. How he suffered!

Oh, yes, he had better make a note of the rescue as well. Poor girl.

Ben stared at him for a moment before turning to leave. Sometimes, just sometimes, he really wondered what he was thinking when he joined the Shanks those years ago.

"I'll be with our navigator, Captain."

"Right. Oh, and have someone let me know when she's awake. I'd like to check on her. That, and I have some things I'd like to ask of her."

Ben raised an eyebrow but nodded. "Aye."

Shanks sat heavily in his chair stroked his goatee. 'Something about this incident doesn't quite sit well with me. She can't have just dropped from the sky.'

Shanks shut the leather bound book and tied it shut. He'd have to pick up another one at port when they landed as well. He was also going to have to make preparations for their departure—they had stayed at Fuschia for too long as it was. It was a nice place, and if he were the type he wouldn't have minded settling down there all that much. Luffy would be disappointed, but the boy will get over it quickly.

Shanks yawned and leaned back in his chair, adjusting the straw hat so it covered his eyes. Belatedly, he remembered to close the thick curtains to block out the sun. Despite the unusual morning, it seemed like it was going to be another lovely day on the sea.

**********

Amano Hanley

'I'm not dead?'

Hanley assessed her surroundings. She lay on a cot, which was a little uncomfortable but infinitely better than a piece of wet fiberglass, so she counted her blessings. She was no longer wearing her dress, but a rather large, gray shirt made up of a rough cotton material. The only things that were properly soft and comfortable were the pillow and blanket.

Hanley began to sit up and gave a soft gasp of pain. Her ribs were tightly bound, as was her ankle. She didn't remember injuring them, but she wasn't quite ready to believe her memory just yet.

'I really am not dead?'

The room itself was pretty small—apart from the single cot, there was a folded up hammock and a small desk cluttered with different vials and bandages. Cupboards and shelves also lined the wall and were well stocked with more jars and equipment. The gentle rocking motion and the sound of waves told her she was on a ship of some kind, but where?

Did that storm really happen? Hanley touched her ribs with a wince.

'No, it did happen. Something incredible happened. Am I alone?' Her friends, sensei, were they gone?

She felt awful—she hadn't really thought about them until now. What sort of person was she, really? She didn't even consider what could have befallen them. Sure, now she could afford to when she was no longer in danger of dying. But that said a lot about her, didn't it? Eriko-sempai would have been concerned first thing. Daisuke-sensei wouldn't have just caved in like that. Hanley could remember how desperate he looked to save all of them. And what did she do?

Hanley felt tears fill her eyes.

"I told myself that I was going to change," Hanley whispered, frustrated with herself, "I made a promise to Grandma and Grandpa that I would do better."

She hasn't grown at all, even after trying so hard.

Hanley shook her head and shoved the blankets off her body. When Rakumaru went down, Daisuke-sensei and Natsu-kun were at least with her. Surely they were in the same area? Maybe they were picked up as well? She had to alert someone! She was powerless to do anything before, but now she had regained some of her strength. Even if she couldn't do much, this was all she could do at this point.

"I must have been swept farther out to sea. I'm probably on a fishing vessel. This definitely doesn't look like a cruise ship." Her ankle twinged when she stepped on it, but it was a manageable pain. She brushed her fingers along her calf. Natsu-kun held on so hard...

No, she was doing something now. It can't be too late.

Hanley had only taken one step when the door opened and a thin man entered. He looked middle-aged, with black, squinty eyes and sharp chin. A pair of tortoise shell glasses hung from his neck from a thin leather strap. The man wore a simple blue shirt and long, white pants that came down to his ankles with simple sandals. He paused just inside the doorway when he saw her. He looked very surprised, but not half as surprised as she was to see him pop out of nowhere.

"Ora, you're already up and about," he muttered, his voice gravelly. Hanley froze, her hands gripping her shirt. She licked her lips nervously, briefly thankful she now had the saliva to wet them.

"Are you the doctor?" She asked softly, trying to cover her nervousness. Was he the man who had taken care of her? She was grateful of course, but she wasn't sure if she liked the fact some strange man had _seen_ her, doctor or no.

Of course, it was a bit too late at this point.

The man nodded, looking down at her with thinly veiled amusement.

"That I am, lass. Why are you out of bed? You really are a lucky girl, and a surprisingly hardy one as well." He gave a tired sigh as he sat at his cluttered desk. "Ah, such a mess I made as usual. Call me Ishamon."

"Ishamon...?" That actually sounded vaguely familiar. Hanley shook her head. This was even better, now she wouldn't have to look for someone to help her. If he was the ship's doctor, he'd be one of the first to know if anyone other than herself was rescued. "Thank you for saving my life, really! But there's no time, sir! I--"

"Oh? And drink some water, girl. You're still suffering from dehydration. I had quite the interesting time trying to hydrate you, you know. Don't undo my hard work."

Hanley huffed in irritation and barely managed to reign in her impatience. Why wouldn't he listen to her? Sure she was ten, but she wasn't going to settle for a pat on the head and being led back to bed. "Listen to me, did you see anyone else?? Was there anyone else with me??"

"You're getting hysterical--"

"Of course I am, dammit! Now was I alone or not??"

Ishamon only sighed. "Please sit down, lass."

"No, I--"

"Sit."

Hanley sat.

"Drink your water."

She grabbed the glass, seething. Water sloshed over the rim as she quickly gulped it down. It dribbled down the sides of her mouth and chin. She hastily wiped her face.

"Happy?" She was acting shameful, but she couldn't help slamming the glass down on the nightstand when she finished. She then noticed her magatama lying on the stand beside the glass, glinting softly in the sunlight. Hanley hastily picked it up and held it close to her. It wasn't doing its weird energy thing again, thank goodness.

"Quite. Now, you are the only one we've spotted so far. Am I to assume you had friends--"

"You mean you didn't find them?" Hanley interrupted, her green eyes wide with horror. She had nearly died out there, what of everyone else?? Ishamon sighed and ran a thin, calloused hand through his graying hair.

"The girl asks a question yet doesn't wait for a proper answer."

Hanley fell silent, nibbling her lower lip as she desperately tried to think of something. She must have severely underestimated the storm, then. When they hit the water, they must have been sent in all sorts of directions. Yes, that was it, no one was dead, they were just lost.

They weren't dead.

Hanley felt Ishamon's eyes on her, but he seemed to be waiting for her to say something.

"Sir, where is your captain?" she finally asked.

Ishamon's thick eyebrows raised and he crossed his arms. "Now you wish to speak to the captain?"

"Yes, sir, please. I need to act fast."

"Well, I don't see why not. He wanted to see you when you first woke up anyway." Hanley blinked in surprise. He wanted to see her? Well, that shouldn't be so surprising. He probably wanted to get her information or something.

Ishamon continued, "He's busy right now, but I'll tell him you're up."

Hanley paused. She was a little hesitant of imposing on him, or becoming a bother, but her friends depended on her. If they weren't picked up, they could be on the brink of death for all she knew!

"No, I must see him now. Please."

Ishamon shook his head, "It won't be long, be patient--"

"_Please_." Her eyes widened and her lip trembled. She was fighting dirty—her grandpa complained about that look enough for her to know that much. Hopefully Ishamon wasn't immune to it.

Ishamon grimaced then sighed in resignation. Hanley nearly cheered. It would appear that he wasn't.

"He should be in his cabin." Ishamon said as he slowly stood. "I'll take you."

"Thank you, thank you! Um, can I get any more clothes?" The shirt was practically a dress and covered all the important bits, but she didn't feel comfortable waltzing about in it on a ship full of strangers.

"I think I found an old pair of shorts that will fit you if you tie them tightly. We don't have any clothes that will fit a child." He picked up a folded bundle. "I'll be outside. Borrow those sandals while you're at it." He pointed to a well worn pair sitting by the nightstand that she had missed earlier.

Hanley gratefully took the shorts. They were big in the waist, but she was tall enough so the ends wouldn't drag on the ground.

"I suppose that makes sense; you wouldn't have any kid's clothes on a commercial fishing ship."

"Fishing, huh?" Ishamon smiled, not unkindly. "Not quite, lass. Come out when you're finished."

Hanley frowned slightly in confusion.

'What did that mean? Well, it doesn't matter.' The moment the door closed Hanley quickly stepped into the shorts. The belt was actually a rope, and she had to loop it a couple of times around her waist to hold them up. Hanley picked up her magatama and placed it around her neck with a loving pat.

'What weird clothes! Ishamon-sensei was also dressed funny, now that I think about it. And I don't think I've ever heard that kind of Japanese before.' For the life of her, Hanley really couldn't place the accent or the dialect Ishamon spoke in. Maybe it was from a rural area? Still, they could understand each other enough despite the differences, that was the important thing. Hanley slipped her feet into the sandals. Those actually fit much better.

'Damn my big feet, I hate them!'

When she opened the door, Ishamon looked to be waiting patiently for her, idly leaning against the wall while he cleaned his lenses. He gave a sharp nod when he saw her.

"Come on then. The captain probably won't mind the interruption—Ben's on him about something or other."

"Okay." Hanley answered as she looked around. What the hell kind of ship was she on? Everything was made out of wood, from the deck to the bulkheads. It didn't look like any commercial fishing ship she had seen. Actually, it looked old-fashioned. They passed several crew members, and Hanley could feel her blood pressure rising.

'What is this, a Disney ride? Why are they all dressed like that? They look like pirates!' Hanley hoped she hadn't stumbled aboard a ship full of crazy people. No, surely not. They were probably enthusiasts—cosplayers. There was nothing wrong with cosplay, she would not judge.

Ishamon helped her climb the stairs—her ankle was slowly becoming harder to walk on the more she put weight on it—that led to the top deck.

When they stepped out into the sunlight, the sight before her was mind boggling.

'Okay, this is a bit more than cosplay.' Hanley thought, jaw growing slack. Whoever commissioned this vessel must have a lot of money. It looked so authentic! From the masts to the rigging to the canons; every portion came together to form a very real looking historic ship. The crew even looked like they stepped right out of a history book! Hanley had to admit this was pretty impressive. There certainly wasn't any room for passengers on the ship, so it couldn't have been a tourist attraction.

There really was only one drawback.

'Too many men, far too many men.' Weren't there any women around? This whole thing was really making her nervous.

"Don't worry, they're harmless." Ishamon had apparently noticed her fear. Hanley only nodded. Now wasn't the time to say anything stupid.

Many of the men stopped to call out to Ishamon, or look her over as he helped her climb another short set of stairs.

"She looks a lot better, Ishamon!"

"I guess there is a reason we keep you around, old man!"

The ship wasn't that big or long. The bridge and the captain's quarters were apparently the same room located at the stern of the ship. Ishamon knocked briskly on the thick wooden door.

"Who is it?" a muffled voice sang, yes, sang, from inside.

'What the hell was that?'

Ishamon gave such a tired sigh that Hanley actually turned to him in concern. He grinned and gave a wink before answering, "It's Ishamon. I have the girl, she wants to see you immediately."

'You make it sound like I'm ordering him around!' Hanley thought in slight alarm.

"Oh? Well, come on in, then!" the voice replied, sounding very cheerful.

'He's in a good mood, at least.'

"You'll be fine," Ishamon said, "he is a good man. You definitely don't have to worry." His tone was full of admiration and respect. Hanley found it to be very reassuring.

Hanley shuffled inside the cabin, Ishamon close behind her. It was much larger than the infirmary, naturally.

'This place would actually be pretty nice, if not for the unfortunate tornado that ravaged the room.' Every available surface was covered with papers, maps, and nautical instruments. Even the wooden chairs had debris on them. It all looked very authentic, like a diorama from a museum. She had to admire their attention to detail. Hanley's focus then immediately centered on the man seated behind the desk. The first thing she noticed was his bright red hair. The man had a large grin on his face and a straw hat perched on his head.

'This is the captain? That's a very good dye-job, though. Such a gorgeous color.' Blondie, however, could use a touch up. 'But he's not what I thought—is that a cape??' Honestly, at this point she should just consider going with the flow. And let's be fair, given half the chance she'd certainly dress up as Princess Leia and go about town. The entire scenario was pretty cool...even if the men wore capes.

'Actually, he looks very familiar. I know I've seen him before, but where?' The scars and the hat were very telling, but the knowledge just wouldn't come up. It was a little confusing, as she was positive she had never met the man. However, she could not explain why she had the feeling she should know who he was. Well, it didn't matter, there were much more important things to think about.

There were three other men in the cabin, and they all looked very pirate-y compared to the captain who, to be blunt, looked more like a beach bum. Hanley could see that they were all armed with old-fashioned guns—but surely they weren't real. It wasn't that easy to own a gun, much less historical recreations.

Captain Red Hair smiled even more widely, somehow, and motioned to a chair in front of his desk.

"Have a seat, you really do look a lot better."

Hanley nodded politely, "I feel a lot better, thanks to Ishamon-sensei."

"Good, good--"  
"But sir, I have an urgent request." Now she had to get down to business. She had his attention and needed to make the most of it.

'Calm. I have to remain calm—losing my mind won't get my friends found any faster. I'm sure they'll help.' Hanley took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She placed her hands in her lap to keep them from shaking.

If he noticed her nervousness, the Captain didn't mention it. Red Hair chuckled.

"You're a very well-spoken girl, it seems. Alright. What's your request and I'll do my best to fulfill it."

The man with a ponytail and cigarette sighed, "Shouldn't you ask what the request is, first?"

"It'll be fine, Ben!"

The blonde haired man, Yasopp, if she read his headband correctly, gave a sharp laugh. "Don't try to reason with this guy."

"He wouldn't be Ben if he didn't try." the fat one chimed in.

Hanley shifted uncomfortably, willing the men to focus.

Ben gave a sigh that was reminiscent of Ishamon's just a moment ago, and Hanley could not help but feel concerned for him as well.

Should she feel sorry for them?

Red Hair laughed as if he completely unaware he was being made of, however indirectly. "Right! Now, tell me what you need...uh, what was your name?"  
"Oh. It's Amano Hanley, sir."

"Hanley. Whatever it is, it sounds important."

"It is!" she leaned forward, looking into his eyes. "I really need your help, there are others you have to look for! Two girls and two boys--"

"Tell me what happened, was it an attack?"

Hanley faltered at the unusual question. An attack? From what, shrimp? Marauding anti-yacht enthusiasts?

"Uh, no...there was a sudden storm. We were just having lunch on my friend's boat. We weren't even that far from shore because we could still see the coastline. It happened so quickly that I lost sight of two of my friends before the boat capsized and the rest of us were thrown off, too. I was hoping they'd be in the area."

Yasopp hmmed thoughtfully, "So it wasn't pirates, at least."

'Pirates?? Wait, what are they talking about? Are they in character or something? No, they wouldn't hear something like this and _still_ stay in character. There are limits to role-playing and they don't look like they're bad.'

Hanley was a little thrown off guard, but she continued nontheless.

"Ishamon-sensei told me you didn't see any others..."

"I'm sorry," Red Hair said, "you were the only one we saw. As a matter of fact, you really surprised us."

"I suppose you don't see random girls out in the open ocean like this, huh?" Hanley replied with false lightness, mind racing as she tried her hardest not to cry. Although Ishamon told her she was the only one they found, she still had some foolish hope that he was wrong or not in the loop.

'More like denial. I didn't want to think about their...' She couldn't accept that she was the only one to survive! They were her only friends! What was she going to do without them?

But doubts started creeping into her mind: Natsuhiko was badly injured, and Hitomi wasn't a strong swimmer at all. The currents were so powerful and the storm so bad that even Eriko-sempai and Daisuke-sensei could have easily been pulled under and--

Hanley could feel her nerves begin to fray. It was becoming more and more difficult to breathe as the thought of their deaths began to sink in.

'They couldn't be!! What am I going to tell their parents? What if I never see them again? We were just celebrating my birthday, this didn't have to happen! It's so unfair! It's so damned unfair!'

It was so easy to imagine them being crushed by the yacht or desperately trying to reach the surface only to drown for their efforts--

The burning in her eyes grew worse until finally, despite her efforts, Hanley felt tears run down her face even as she tried to continue speaking.

"You really saw nothing? Not the rest of our boat? O-Or did anyone else see anything? You can't be the only ship out here! You have to be wrong!"

The men didn't answer, but they really didn't have to.

She began to cry harder. They had to be wrong! This wasn't happening, dammit! The only reason they were out there in the first place was for her birthday and this is how they were repaid??

"T-They can't be dead, this is some cruel joke!" Hanley sobbed.

Yasopp moved closer and knelt in front of her.

"We're sorry, we really are. We were going to head back to port as quick as possible, but when Ishamon reported how quickly you healed, we decided to make a large detour and scour the area."

"A-And?" Hanley whispered, furiously wiping her face.

"We didn't see anyone—" When Hanley's face crumpled with sorrow, Yasopp quickly continued, "But that can be a good thing, eh?"

It took a while for Hanley to gather her thoughts enough to pick up on what he was saying.

'They didn't find anything. That also means no bodies. It's not much at all, but hell, I'll take it! Dead bodies float, right? They're still in danger probably, but there are no bodies, none.' Hanley repeated this over and over in her head until felt her spirits lift and she managed a small, watery smile.

Yasopp smiled in return, "Much better. Here, wipe your eyes--"

"Is that a woman's handkerchief?" asked the fat man.

"Shut up, you."

"It appears to be one with hearts on it." Ben added.

"That's none of your business!"

Hanley took the hanky, it was well worn but clean, and wiped her face, trying very hard not to get snot all over it.

'Okay.' Hanley thought. She was still sniffling, but the fact that their dead bodies haven't been discovered yet was enough to calm her down temporarily. She had to do something, if only to keep from crumpling into a pathetic lump on the cabin floor. 'They said they circled around and searched, so wherever the others are it's not around here. Once we get to land we can all the authorities.' Hanley nodded to herself. Yes, this was best. If the others hadn't turned up by now, telling the Coast Guard would be the best move. No doubt the Captain had already radioed ahead and done so. Hell, she was sure her grandparents would have done something when it became clear they never returned.

Everything was going to be fine.

Still, Hanley wasn't going to relax until she saw them again.

"You okay, there?" asked Captain Red Head. He was studying her intently—why he was Hanley wasn't sure.

"Yes, I think so..."

Red Head smiled, "Where are you from?"

"Oh, I'm from a tiny fishing village called Hakube. It's...well, you've probably never heard of it. It's really nice, though, not that far from Kobe and the Shinkansen."

"Shinkansen? And where is Kobe? If you have some idea we could see about dropping you off."

Of all the things she expected to hear, that certainly wasn't even on the list. Hanley stared at him disbelief. It took her a while to find her voice.

"You don't know where Kobe is?" she asked slowly, as if to be sure she heard him right.  
"You make it sound like I should. We've been all over these seas and I've never heard of the place, though." Red Hair scratched his beard. "Interesting."

Hanley found herself blinking rapidly as she tried to process what she just heard.

'Don't tell me they're still cosplaying. This is stupid!! Who the hell does that??' Hanley fought to keep her temper. She wasn't stupid enough to get angry at him for never hearing about Hakube, but Kobe was a completely different! Couldn't they see she was upset? How was playing dumb a good idea in any sense?

Okay, fine, she can play along. "Surely you know where Kobe is, sir. It's a major city in Japan."

"Japan, hm? I assume that's the name of the island where you come from?"

Hanley's fingers began twisting the handkerchief. She dimly saw Yasopp glance at his crewmates in response to her behavior.

"Now you are saying you don't know where Japan is? Or what it is?" she answered, voice growing darker. She was clearly getting riled. Red Hair tilted his head to the side, still wearing that ridiculous grin on his face. It was probably his default setting.

"Not at all. Point the way?" That was it.

"Do you think you're funny??" Hanley was suddenly on her feet, breathing heavily. She accepted the antique ship, she accepted the cosplay, but she will definitely not accept this! How can they be so unconcerned that they keep playing this game when her friends were who knows where??

"Hanley." Ishamon began warningly. Her back was to him, but she could tell from his tone that he was very displeased. Captain Red Hair held up a hand.

"Why should I know where Japan is, Hanley?" he was calm in the face of her ire. Then again, a grown man had little to fear from a ten year old girl. The only thing he accomplished, however, was make her want to smack him.

Hanley threw up her hands, "Because you're speaking Japanese! You have a weird accent, but it's still Japanese!! Won't you stop playing for two seconds?? Did you even call the Coast Guard??" Hanley shrieked, nearly ready to cry all over again.

Shanks blinked. He was no longer smiling—instead, he looked concerned.

"Hoh? And what's the Coast Guard? Are you talking about the Marines?"

"No, dammit, I _mean_ the Coast Guard!! Are you serious?? I thought you were going to help me!!"

Ishamon placed a hand on her shoulder, "That is quite enough, you are not making any sense. Calm down!"

Hanley was too angry to care. She slapped his hand. They were all staring at her like she was crazy. Those bastards!! _She_ was the crazy one??

"Don't tell me what to do! You're not my grandfather!"

"We can call the Marines if you really want us to." Red Hair spoke up, drowning out her voice.

"Captain." Ben sighed. But his eyes remained on her, as did the others'.

"Problem is, it wouldn't be a good idea, you see. You could get caught in the cross-fire."

Hanley snorted scornfully. Cosplay was fine to a certain point, but these guys have taken it far _beyond _good sense.

"And why is that?" You damned bum.

"We have quite the bounty on our heads. I doubt the Marines would consider your safety when faced with an opportunity to bring us in. You could get hurt. It's better if we drop you off."

'Oh, this is nice. Just nice!' Hanley's breaths came in short gasps as she grew more upset. Fools, idiots! What unlucky and cursed star was she born under to get stuck on this ship with these people? And to think that she thought they were decent! Ha, how wrong she was. Could she even trust their claims that they searched for her friends? It was equally possible that they hadn't, that they just made it up for their stupid fantasy play. They probably enjoyed themselves—this was their chance for a real adventure. Save a girl, mount a rescue! Hanley couldn't be any more disgusted with them.

And her injuries were starting to act up as well. Her head was throbbing, and she could feel the sweat beading on her forehead. She was getting tired; her ribs ached and her ankle stung on top of that. But she was so frustrated she simply didn't care.

"You bastard." Hanley hissed.

"And a foul-mouthed girl, too." Captain Red-Hair commented. "I don't know what I did to make you so mad--"

"You know exactly what you're doing, stop toying with me!! With that stupid smile on your face and your ridiculous hat—just how old are you anyway you damn bum?? Pirate? Don't make me laugh! You probably couldn't get a regular job!"

"Hanley, do not address the Captain that way." Ishamon said sternly, obviously having enough of her behavior. "He saved your life, the least you can do is show some respect--"

"It's fine, Ishamon, I'm glad she's so lively after that close call. Really." Red Hair smiled at her. It was a charming and sincere smile, and somehow, it was more than enough to briefly snap her out of her tantrum. "That's really what's most important, yeah?" he continued with a laugh.

Hanley found herself staring at him yet again. He was so weird—why wasn't he getting angry? He was genuinely happy he helped her. On top of that, it was as if he were truly happy she was yelling at him. She wanted to be angry, hell, she still was to a certain point, but...

'Just who is this guy?'

Hanley shook her head, but it ended up being a bad idea as she swayed on her feet.

"I told you you were still recovering, silly girl. We are going back to the infirmary and you are going to lie down. You can pitch a fit at our captain some other time." Ishamon scolded as he ushered her to the door. Hanley really had no choice but to let him, not with the throbbing pain pushing against her eyes.

"Take care, Hanley!" Captain Red Hair called after her. She looked at him and found herself reddening. Now that her flash of anger had somewhat subsided she felt embarrassment starting to creep up. Flustered and upset, she shook herself out of Ishamon's grasp.

"Freak," she spat at Red Hair, not knowing what else to do. She ignored Ishamon's disapproving look. "I can get back by myself, Ishamon-sensei."

"If that's the case, would you mind if I spoke with Ishamon for a bit?"

"Do whatever, you'll do it anyway," Hanley sneered and slammed the door behind her as hard as she could. It was too heavy for her to get a satisfying bang out of it, unfortunately.

"Stupid bum. Stupid cosplayers." She began to stagger below deck, avoiding the men as best she could.

'I want to go home.'

**********

Red-Haired Shanks

"What a lively girl! I'm glad she's okay." Shanks said when she stormed out of the room. Ben chuckled.

"I think we made her angry."

"I think you just made an understatement." answered Yasopp as he crossed his arms. Ishamon turned and gave a short bow.

"I apologize, Captain."

"Don't mind, it's okay! She was just upset. Of course, I don't know why she was upset, or what she was talking about, but it's no big deal."

"I think we should take that fit seriously. It's possible she's touched in the head." Ben observed coolly. Shanks gave a small, thoughtful frown. It was certainly possible. Perhaps it was a side effect of some kind? Dehydration could cause hallucinations in the victim; then again, the delirium didn't tend to occur _after_ they're fixed up. It was also possible she was just stressed about her nakama. After all, he would certainly become frantic if any of his dear friends were in danger.

But that didn't explain her obvious ignorance about simple, basic facts. She didn't take well to the idea that they were pirates—not because she was afraid, but because she was under the impression they didn't exist at all. Or rather, that they the stuff of stories and children's games not applicable to the real world. Her tone and shocked disbelief made that pretty clear. It was mind boggling. Even those who lived on the most isolated of islands were aware of the Golden Age and the Pirate King, if nothing else.

And Shanks didn't even know what to think about that whole Japan business. He couldn't begin to figure out what she was talking about there.

Shanks looked at Ishamon, who was also deep in thought as he stared at the floor.

"A psychotic break? I'm sorry captain, but mental illness simply isn't my specialty. The best I can prescribe is rest. Once she gets acclimated perhaps she will settle down." The ship's doctor gave a helpless shrug.

"I hope so; Fuschia is days away due to the detours we took to look for more survivors." Yasopp said.

Lucky Roux shrugged, "We'll get there soon enough."

"You still look concerned, Ishamon." Ben stated.

Ishamon nodded. He made his way to the chair that Hanley had recently vacated and sat down with a sigh. "Ah, I'm getting too old for this." He gratefully took the cigarette from Ben and lit the end.

"Putting aside her odd behavior, Hanley is just an odd little girl in general. Her healing rate was quite exceptional."

"Nothing too bad about that." Shanks replied.

"It's the way she recovered, really. When I began to give her fluids, she took in a startling amount. I thought she was going to suck up the ship's entire supply in one go. As she became increasingly hydrated, her wounds began to, well, heal right before my eyes. Her bruises faded, her sunburn healed. Even her ribs and ankle to a certain degree. I don't doubt those injuries will soon be fully recovered."

"Hmm?"  
"Well, two ribs were fractured as if she were struck by a blunt force. The ankle was severely sprained. But as you saw she could walk pretty well and wasn't favoring her ribs all that much. It's only been two days. Well, it's just puzzling. I'm not upset that she healed so quickly, of course."

"I see. Well, thanks for the report, Ishamon! Have some sake, you look tired."

"I was watching over her pretty late. Well, that's the duty of a doctor."

Yasopp laughed, "Oh, you treat her so well! I've never seen you like this before."

"That's because she isn't nearly as annoying as you bastards. And besides, it's not like I can subject an innocent girl to my form of treatment. It could kill her."

"It could also kill us."

"Should I be so lucky." Ishamon downed the small glass of sake in one gulp and nodded his thanks.

"I'll take my leave, Captain Shanks."

Shanks waved him out and rested his head on his hand. Such a mystery they were handed. They still had no idea where she came from. At this time, Shanks could only assume she was in a storm by her village on that Japan island and was swept away. It still didn't account for the time frame, nor for the fact there weren't any storms recently, but there was nothing more to go on.

'Ah, I think I'm thinking too much. In the end, it doesn't really matter how she got there. What does matter is if we can get her home safely. But I don't think that is going to be very easy.'

"Oh well! The life of a pirate is unpredictable! Let's just forget about the whole thing."

"Is that wise?" Ben asked.

"Hm, maybe not forget," Shanks said, "rather, let's not dwell on it. I'm pretty sure the poor girl was just scared."

"Well I can see why she'd be scared of Yasopp's mug!" laughed Lucky Roux. He didn't even flinch when Yasopp elbowed him in the gut.

"She looked more angry to me, but I understand what you are saying." Ben replied as he headed for the door. Yasopp and Lucky Roux also followed.

Shanks gave a wide grin, "I'll be down in a second, boys."

"Hurry up, Captain! It won't be a party without ya!" called Lucky Roux on the way out.

"Damn straight! This is the first of our "Heading Back to Port" parties, those are the best."

"Nah, Yasopp, our "Stumbling Unexpectedly Across a Load of Treasure" parties are much better. 'Sides, this one won't have much alcohol."

"Agh! You're right!"

"You can just bring the stash you've been keeping hidden from us."

"Dammit, Ben, how'd you find out about that--"

"You're transparent. Obviously--"

Their voices faded over time, leaving Shanks alone with his thoughts. He rooted through his maps of East Blue, searching for an island he knew from experience simply wasn't there. He didn't know how long he sat there looking at them, but after a while he set them aside and stood, taking the candle with him as he did.

When he exited his quarters/bridge, the party was in full swing on top deck despite Yasopp's words and the lack of alcohol. The men had taken to saving it for the "Returning to Port Party Part Two," which occurred the night before landfall. Shanks waved and laughed with the crew he passed on his way to the lower deck. He gave a nod to his officers before climbing the stairs down below.

There weren't many men below deck, as they were up topside partying. He looked into the infirmary to see Ishamon sitting at his desk. The cot was folded neatly and unoccupied. Ishamon looked up and shook his head. The doctor pointed down the hall.

Shanks made his way down the narrow corridor, peeking behind barrels and into the rooms as he did. He came to the end, which was largely a storage area. He soon spotted her tucked between two crates, knees up to her chest. The girl looked up at him and quickly turned away.

"Why are you here?" she asked, voice croaking, no doubt from crying. Shanks knelt before her with a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I can't help you at all, really."

"Just stop it, will you? Why are you still playing around?" Hanley no longer sounded angry, just tired.

"Why do you think I'm playing around?" Shanks asked calmly.

"You have to be! How stupid can you be, not knowing..." she trailed off and placed her forehead on her knees. Shanks was at a loss. He didn't know what he could say to make her understand. He wasn't that good with kids, especially young girls.

He tried another approach. "There is no Japan here--"  
"Please be quiet." Okay, that didn't get very far.  
"That does not change the fact you're talking about a place that doesn't exist, Hanley."

Hanley sniffled and hid her face once more. Shanks sighed and scratched his head. Ah, what to do. He hadn't wanted to leave things as they were in the cabin—he believed one shouldn't go to bed upset or angry—but they were on two different wavelengths.

They sat there for a while, Hanley hiccuping from her tears and Shanks trying to figure out what to do with her. If she was dead set on this Japan place that doesn't exist, he really didn't have a lot of options. He also didn't want to have her crying, but he wasn't good at comforting her either. Yasopp was better with kids, he thought, maybe he should have him do something?

Shanks placed the candle on one of the crates and shifted so that he was sitting crossed legged before her. She flinched back and glared at him.

"I won't hurt you."

"How do I know that? You and your creepy crew are playing dress up."

Shanks laughed at the image _that_ presented. They would certainly make tragically ugly women. "I assure you, my lady, we are pirates. And quite nefarious if you believe the talk."

Hanley gave a soft snort, but Shanks noted that she was relaxing. That was good.

"I like your hair." she said suddenly, shyly. Shanks automatically raised a hand to his head.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You people are good at that, at least. I've never seen such a good dye job."

Obviously she thought she was complimenting him. Shanks briefly wondered if this was her way of half-way apologizing. He couldn't help but be amused, though. No one had ever told him that.

"I mean, it's very pretty," Hanley continued. She ran a hand through her jet black hair as if she were comparing the two.

"Thank you. It's quite real, though."

She stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm serious! You're such a mean girl, you know."

Hanley winced and gave a small frown. From what he could tell she had realized that much. She slowly unfolded herself from her defensive position. Good, he had to at least make her trust him enough to pay attention. The seas were dangerous and if she weren't keen on listening to him it could cause problems. Shanks really did know what he was doing, after all.

"I shouldn't have said that, I know." She said, implying that she agreed with him.

'But you're not necessarily sorry. What a funny girl.'

"Oh, I didn't even get your name." Hanley said in surprise, breaking him out of his thoughts. Shanks hadn't even realized that himself.

"Ah, that's right, I didn't even introduce myself. My name is Shanks. A pleasure, Hanley." He gave a goofy grin and bowed comically from his sitting position. Hanley grinned, even if she tried to smother it.

"Okay, Captain Shanks--" Hanley paused suddenly and looked to the side. "Shanks...I've heard that name before..."

So she wasn't completely unaware of his notoriety, at least. Hanley seemed to ignore him as she struggled to remember something. Shanks was content to let her, his own mind wandering. Were the men missing him? He usually was front and center of all of their parties. The deck above them was thumping from their dancing and rowdy behavior.

"Shanks!" Hanley seemed to have finally arrived at whatever conclusion she was hoping for. Now she was staring at him in horror, green eyes almost ridiculously wide. She then scrambled into a kneeling position to look at him more closely. Shanks leaned back slightly in surprise as she examined him.

"Y-You look a lot like him..." she murmured.

"I hope so," Shanks answered, bemused, "I've never looked like anyone else."

"No big deal, it makes sense. You have look like him if you're going to play him."

"Play me?"

'Maybe she doesn't want to believe she was saved by pirates?' That line of logic was pretty weak, though. If she were scared or nervous enough to ardently deny the fact that they were pirates, Shanks was pretty certain she wouldn't have yelled or cursed at them. Hanley was just odd. Nothing wrong with that, of course, but it was starting to become worrisome. Could she even function if they left her somewhere? It was something to consider, and he had to do it fast. Fuschia was very close, only four days away if the wind kept. If there were something wrong, he'd have to take that into account. He wasn't so heartless as to leave her some place that couldn't take care of her properly.

Now she had taken to tugging his hair slightly. The tugs were gentle and hesitant, ready to back off if he said so.

Was she still thinking about his hair?

Shanks took off his straw hat and let her have a closer look. He'd figure something out; he always has.

"I'm just looking at the roots." She said forcefully, daring him to say something.

Shanks smiled agreeably, "Alright, alright. But Hanley."

"Yes?" her voice shook slightly. She was still upset, then. Shanks had no idea what she was trying to confirm.

"Are you well?"

The girl leaned back and looked up at him. She sighed and scratched her head.

"I'm fine. I'm over my injuries."

'That's not what I meant, but I guess that will do for now.' Shanks thought. He stood and placed his hand on her head as an afterthought.

"Get some rest, Hanley. I'll see you bright and early in the galley. It's that larger room right there." He pointed it out but was sure she wouldn't get lost. Hanley nodded and gave him another unidentifiable look before walking down the corridor to the infirmary. Shanks watched her go, even after she disappeared.

It was possible the girl would get better.

**********

If nothing else, writing this fic is increasing my ship knowledge—at least compared to what I knew before:

Ships float

There are many types

They used to be made from wood

I wish I could ride a riverboat  
[/end ship knowledge]

Oh, and did you get the reference from another pirate fandom? See what I did there? Eh, you probably did, I'm not that clever.

Nautical Terms:

Port (Left—facing the pointy end of the ship)

Starboard (Right—facing the pointy end of the ship)

Bow (Pointy end of the ship)

Stern (Rear of the ship)

Aft (Behind)

I won't use a whole lot of nautical terms. I'm no expert, but I do think the directions are important to note while they're aboard a ship. It makes it easier to orientate and such. Anyway, until next time! As always, concrit is welcome.


	3. Blitz Krieg

I think it's finally beginning to sink in just how long this sucker is going to be. Jesus, it just may end up being novel length. I don't even know how I feel about that.

Not even one review, though. You guys really know how to depress a girl! (j/k)

But in all seriousness, if you can, please take some time and drop me a line. Otherwise, it'll be difficult to have an objective view without someone else's eyes (still no beta). I think I'm doing okay, but one never knows XD. Also, I really do want to get a feel of how people are receiving this fic; any suggestions will be taken into account when writing.

But hopefully this should pick up soon. I had to take the time and get Hanley into One Piece without, well, just dropping her on the ship and be all, "Here you go!! 8DDD" I, er, wanted to give her some connections back in "our" world, to make her a bit more real. I don't know if I succeeded, and...now I feel embarrassed.

So! Here is the next installment.

_Hanley_

Chapter 2: Blitz Krieg, is that the Way of the Pirate?

**********

Amano Hanley

In the end, what finally clued her to the fact that she may not be in Kansas anymore wasn't the result of a long night of compiling evidence (she slept pretty deeply), believing what the man named Shanks was telling her (despite his lovely hair), nor was it watching the antics of the other bizarre men that made up Shanks's pirate crew (and they were quite bizarre).

What actually broke the camel's back was a simple seagull.

It wasn't larger or more notably different in coloring than any other seagull that she had seen before. The fact that it landed on the railing of the ship beside Captain Shanks was also perfectly fine. It looked like a seagull, sounded like a seagull, but when Shanks promptly relieved it of its newspaper and paid it with a currency she had never seen before, Hanley was finally ready to consider that she had most likely lost her mind.

She took no heed when the men called after her in worry when she turned and practically dived below deck as if she were under enemy fire. Ribs and ankle be damned, this was _serious_.

"What's the matter, lass?" asked Ishamon in concern when she thundered inside and collapsed dramatically onto her cot. She turned to look at him, tightly clasping her magatama as if it were a rosary  
"There is a SEAGULL." Hanley sputtered, close to hyperventilating. She was still in shock. Ishamon looked at her silently before he slowly took down a sedative from a shelf.  
"Oh? Is there?"

"It _delivered _a NEWSPAPER."

"Well, yes, that's their job, Hanley. It's the only way to get news out here. That, and the Den Den Mushi."

Hanley could only lay back down and try to catch her breath. She was sure, very sure, seagulls were incapable of acting like paperboys. Perhaps on it's own that wouldn't have caused her to freak out; however, it was yet another source of oddness in the long line of unfortunate events that had befallen her. And what if the seagull wasn't alone? What if there were other bizarre things she had to look for? It wasn't too hard to follow this train of thought. If this was normal for these crazy men, it was possible there were other things around here that weren't quite right, cosplay aside. Wait a moment.

"What is a Den Den Mushi?" Hanley asked slowly, already wishing she hadn't because she was sure she would not like the answer.

"Our long distance communicators. Here, I'll get one." Ishamon was clearly concerned for her when he left the infirmary. She was thankful he didn't just ignore her mumblings and simply sedate her.

Hanley groaned and pressed the heels of her hands to her forehead. What was going on? Was she over reacting? They must have trained the thing to pick up newspapers from the mainland—oh who the hell was she kidding? She was positive Blackbeard wasn't pulling that nonsense on the American coasts back in his day.

'What is going on I am so confused--'

Ishamon returned not a moment later, with what could only be a radio snail in his large hands. Hanley stared at it in barely disguised horror. _Unnatural _was the first thing to pop into her mind. The damn thing actually had some kind of expression on its face—hell it actually _had_ a face. It was light red in color, with large, bulbous eyes on a pair of short stalks and a cream colored shell with three red stripes across the side. It had an odd growth circling its mouth like the beginnings of some weird facial hair. The snail looked bored, as if it was perfectly normal for it to have a receiver stuck in its shell. Hanley had never seen such a large snail, and it was real, on top of that! This wasn't some very realistic machine—she could see that from here.

It was easily the creepiest thing she ever had the misfortune of seeing.

"Oh hell." She breathed.

"Would you like to hold--"

"Ishamon-sensei do not bring that thing any closer." Hanley was pressing herself against the wall. She could barely stand to look at it! It was possessed! Why did that snail have a face?? It had a mouth! It was this awful mutant _thing_.

'Although, if I don't know any better, I'd say that I hurt its feelings.' It certainly did look like it was pouting.

CREEPY. And now she felt a little guilty. Creepy Mutant Radio Snail couldn't help looking like it did—oh what the hell was she thinking??

"This is the captain's personal Den Den, but he didn't mind your borrowing it. Just don't call any of the authorities with it, if you don't mind." Ishamon chuckled as he set it down on the desk. It was content to stay there, still bored and a little sleepy if Hanley were to judge. "We have a larger one in the bridge to make long distance calls. It was locked up the previous afternoon so you never saw it."

"...Is that a beard?"

"Well, yes. Den Den are largely unique to their owners"

"Oh hell."

"This seems to bother you quite a bit, don't you like animals?"

Hanley groaned, "It's not that I don't like them, it's just I...oh no, what if Red Hair was telling the truth? Oh hell!" She curled on her side, trying to process what was happening.

But the other possibility was too much. That would require her to believe that she wasn't as close to home as she had hoped. It would require her to believe that Shanks was right and there simply wasn't a Japan to go home _to_. Hell, it would require her to believe that she was in a _manga_ somehow. The only bright side she could see was that her friends might not be dead after all, just not _here._

Wherever she was.

Hanley lay on her side for several minutes, focusing on nothing but the sound of her breath. Her mind was in turmoil, trying to wrap itself around the concept that she wasn't in her world anymore. How in the hell was that possible? It was stupid, completely stupid and crazy and other things she couldn't even think about right now. But, wasn't it the last option left to her at this point? It was either very realistic cosplay or, well, _real_. Or she was insane. Maybe she was in a hospital right now, doped up and completely lost in her own head. Perhaps she had made this entire adventure up, taking cues from one of the last things she did—look over Natsuhiko's manga, something he loved. And perhaps this was a coping mechanism. Her friends had died and she just made up someplace where she can easily say that they were well.

'I don't know what to believe. But this is so real. I can feel the cot beneath me. My ribs still ache from being tossed around on the Rakumaru. I can feel the swaying of the ship on the water. I can hear Ishamon-sensei as he writes.' Hanley clenched her fists. Her nails dug painfully into the palms of her hands. In a flash of helpless temper she turned and slammed her fist into the wall. Ishamon leaped up and was by her side a split second later. He gently took her hand before she could clutch it close to her chest.

"Hanley, what's the matter?" he asked urgently as he examined her.

"Is this real, Ishamon-sensei? Am I really here?" No wonder they stared at her like she was crazy. _She_ thought she was crazy.

Ishamon kept his face carefully blank as he responded. "I think you are here, Hanley. I can see you, I can touch you. I perceive that you are here. That's what reality is, hm?"

Hanley sniffled from pain.

"Don't have an existential crisis on me now, lass." Ishamon smiled, examining her knuckles.

"I can have an exis-whatever crisis if I want to." Hanley replied petulantly, her anger fading almost as quickly as it appeared. She winced as he tended her knuckles.

'Don't punch walls, my lesson is learned.'

"You're such a silly lass." Ishamon muttered fondly. Hanley huffed slightly and looked at him. She had a sudden thought but wondered if it would be a good idea to ask. Well, hopefully he wouldn't mind.  
"Do you have any kids?" Hanley asked hesitantly.  
"I did."

Oh no, he _used _to have them.

Ishamon saw her horrified look and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it," he continued as he wrapped her hand, "it was years ago. I had two daughters. No wife, she left me long before that."

"...What happened, Ishamon-sensei?"

"They were taken as slaves by the Tenryuubito."

"Tenryuubito? Who are they?"

"People that I hope you never meet. My daughters were captured because of a debt I was unable to pay."

"I'm sorry, Ishamon-sensei. I shouldn't have asked--"

"No, it's fine. That was a dark time in my life. I used to be a horrible gambler, lass. I was addicted. It was one of the reasons why my wife left me." Ishamon's face twisted briefly, as if he were in pain. But then his expression quickly smoothed over and he continued on as if nothing had occurred. "She didn't want the responsibility of looking after our daughters, either. Still, they would have been better off with her. They...did not last long in servitude."

Hanley fell silent. She wasn't the most perceptive person, but the raw pain in Ishamon's voice was enough to make her chest ache. She could feel it in his voice as he spoke despite his calm bedside manner. There was more to this place than first appeared—far more dangerous than cheerful pirates and newspaper delivering seagulls. Ishamon finished with her hand and looked at her.

"What were their names?" She asked after a while.

"Abigail and Irene." Ishamon gave her a small grin, but he looked anything but happy. "Do not hurt yourself again, understood?"  
"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, do you feel better?"

Hanley grimaced and ran her fingers through her hair.

"I really don't know."

"You will be." He sounded so positive that Hanley couldn't help but look at him in surprise.

'I think he's seriously overestimating me.' Still, she was glad for his support. She was lucky, even now. Who knows who could have picked her up out here? Hanley realized that she could have been in serious trouble, impending death put aside for the moment. But if she wasn't crazy and _was _currently in a manga, what should she do now? Even then it was difficult to believe. Maybe she should talk to Shanks?

'Oh crap, I also better apologize. I said some mean things yesterday.' Hanley winced yet again from guilt and embarrassment and carefully rubbed her aching knuckles. The pain was already fading—Ishamon-sensei really was a good doctor.

She was brought out of her inner musings when two crewmen stumbled in, the taller one supporting the other. The sick one looked noticeably green.

"Hey now, what's this?" Ishamon snapped in clear irritation.

"Sorry Ishamon-san, think Ridley here ate something bad." The taller pirate looked apologetic as he practically held his friend upright. Poor Ridley was becoming greener by the second.

"Oh, did he? I have something for him." Hanley coughed at the ominous tone in his voice. Obviously, Ishamon's inexplicable fondness for her was something she should also be thankful for. "Hanley, could you excuse us? And won't you return the Captain's Den Den to him?"

"Yeah, I'll let you work." Hanley grabbed her magatama before hesitantly picking up the Den Den Mushi. She shuddered when she felt it move across her palms. It felt creepy, too! Steeling herself, Hanly carefully slipped by Ridley and Friend and power walked towards the stairs. The sooner she dumped this thing the better.

She tried to ignore the screaming behind her. May Ridley find peace in the afterlife.

Hanley quickly made her way up top, pausing to look for any more messenger seagulls. She wasn't sure if she could tolerate another sighting while carrying a mutant snail. The top deck was very busy, men calling and laughing as they worked. Hanley tiptoed by, nodding hesitantly at their boisterous greetings she passed. They seemed like nice men, certainly, but she couldn't shake the feeling of insecurity. Well, she guessed it couldn't be helped, being the only female on a ship in the middle of nowhere.

Shanks, of course, was different. It wasn't anything one could see, but it was something else. Something about the man that put him a step above and beyond his crew. Or she could be thinking about it too much. Shanks was captain, so it was practically required that he have some sort charisma.

Hanley spotted him above her, lounging in a hammock rigged by the helm. His straw hat covered his face, and he appeared to be deeply asleep.

'Maybe he's not. He's probably one of those really strong guys that act harmless.' Wasn't that how it usually went in manga? She never read a lot, so she really didn't know. Well, Superman and Batman were the same way. Reporter with glasses and a rich play boy by day and bad ass superhero by night. Or whenever a crisis happened.

Then she was struck by inspiration. Maybe that was it! Maybe she should make a test. She had to make sure she had reached the right conclusion. If this were a manga, then surely it went by manga rules, right?

Den Den Mushi aside.

Hanley crept up the stairs; however, that was largely unnecessary due to the amount of noise the crew were making. Ben was at the helm and saw her approach. He watched her peer at his captain and circle around in what had to be an incredibly odd manner. Hanley was worried he'd say something, but he was content to let her go about whatever it was she was planning.

'Okay, say I am in some kind of manga. I'm not willing to believe that I've lost my mind, so this is really the only option left to me. There are always certain abilities the lead possesses. As captain, Shanks has to be that lead.' It was a little silly, but Natsuhiko swore up and down by those rules, so this was her best choice. Hanley set the Den Den on a barrel and motioned it to be quiet—as if it were making a great deal of noise anyway.

Now Ben fully had his attention on her, right eyebrow raised in curiosity. He still seemed willing to let her do whatever she wanted, so Hanley looked around for something heavy. This was the perfect opportunity to catch Captain Red Hair off guard and confirm her suspicions.

What she planned to do _afterwards_, of course, could wait.

It was then Hanley spotted an empty sake bottle, heavy and dark, lying on its side on the deck. Hanley quickly raced over to it before it could roll away and grasped it. This was perfect. She curiously peered inside before holding it closer and taking a sniff.

"Ugh!" Her nose wrinkled and she stuck out her tongue in disgust. She thought she heard a bark of laughter, but a quick glance in Ben's direction showed her that he was staring straight ahead. Maybe she was hearing things?

Now she made her way back to the helm, lightly tapping the bottle against her palm. Ben's eyebrow raised even higher, but he had yet to make any motion to stop her.

Hanley stopped above Shank's head, weighing her options. After a bit of hesitation, she carefully reached down and slowly lifted the brim of the hat, exposing his face. Shanks was dead to the world—mouth slack as he snored. It was so surprisingly cute that Hanley nearly reconsidered what she was doing, but she quickly strengthened her resolve. She didn't want to mess up his hat, he seemed to really like it, so she slowly and gently lifted it and moved it to his chest. She looked at the bottle before shrugging and lifting it up.

It was far more difficult than expected. She had thrown things in a temper before; however, she had certainly never taken an object and hit somebody with it.

...Well, okay, she had never taken an object that could potentially seriously hurt someone and try to hit them with it. Natsuhiko would disagree with that, though. The Den Den Mushi's gaze seemed heavy on her. Hanley glanced at Ben. His back was to her once more, his attention taken to something occurring on the deck below.

It was now or never.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Hanley swung the bottle as hard as she could manage. She was fully expecting one of two things to happen: Shanks would, through some weird kind of psychic sixth sense, grab the bottle before it connected, or, it would hit, shatter upon his skull, and he would continue to sleep peacefully. She had seen enough Western cartoons and listened to Natsuhiko's rants long enough to know that this was the norm. Really, he should be fine, right?

As one can imagine in hindsight, neither happened.

It shattered upon contact with his forehead, and he was up in a flash, shouting in pain. He clutched his head and bent over until his head was between his knees, his straw hat laying on the ground by his feet. He stayed that way for several long moments, hissing as he waited for the pain to fade.

"What just—who hit me??" He looked up to a horrified and frozen Hanley with the remains of a sake bottle.

'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit--' When she realized she was caught red-handed, she immediately tossed the stem of the bottle overboard.

'Oh like _that_ will help!'

"U-Um, good afternoon, Captain Shanks! How was your nap?" Hanley stuttered, trying to play off the fact that she bludgeoned him. He was really hurt! That wasn't supposed to happen! Hanley bit her lip, confused and now a little scared. Since she didn't belong here she thought the rules wouldn't apply to her, but Shanks was born and raised here! Why...

"It was fine until you woke me up." Shanks said, looking bemused.

"Maybe she's trying to assassinate the notorious Red-Haired Shanks." Ben spoke up, still facing away from them. His shoulders were shaking suspiciously.

Hanley choked and returned her attention to Shanks, "N-No! I swear that wasn't it! I wouldn't..." They were going to lock her up, she knew it! They were going to think her crazy or a killer!

"Maa, I suppose I was napping too long anyway." Shanks muttered as he brushed the glass fragments from his hair and retrieved his hat from the deck.

Or...they were going to just go about their business as if she didn't smash a sake bottle over their captain's head.

"Oh for—why aren't you angry?" Hanley cried, a little frustrated with him and not quite sure why.

"You want me to be?" answered Shanks in obvious amusement. He shook his loose, white shirt free of debris and checked to make sure some pieces of glass weren't hiding in his clothing.

"No! I mean, you were supposed to catch that!"

"I was supposed to catch it--"  
"Yes! Why didn't you??"

Ben coughed, "I think she's blaming you for allowing yourself to get hit."

"I'm not, really! I mean, I wasn't expecting you to turn into the Hulk, but why the hell didn't you catch the bottle?"

"How? I was asleep." Shanks replied.

Hanley floundered and stopped to think about that. Okay, he had a very good point. Besides, how was she supposed to tell him it was because he was a main character in a shounen manga?

'There's...no good way to explain this, is there?'

"And who is the Hulk?"

Hanley sighed in disappointment, "Oh, nevermind. It's not important."

Shanks was clearly trying not to laugh at her. "I apologize for not catching the bottle."

"Or staying asleep."  
Ben snorted and Shanks scratched his head in confusion.

"Or somehow staying asleep despite the fact you nearly knocked my brains out."

It sounded horrible when he put it that way. "...Yeah, well..." Hanley muttered, very sorry. And she really was, seriously!

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, see?"

"I guess. I don't know what I was thinking." She was desperate, that was what she was thinking. Guilt churned her stomach as she thought of what else she had to apologize for. That one, however, was a bit more difficult to get out. Her eyes lowered as she tried to get out a proper apology.

"I-I..."

"Anyway, I'm curious, Hanley."

Hanley blinked and managed to lift her eyes from the deck. He was grinning widely at her and really did look fine.

'Maybe there was something to the experiment after all...'

"Who is the Hulk? Is he a pirate of some kind?"

Oops. "Uh, um."

"I'm wide awake now, you'll just have to indulge me."

Hanley groaned softly and hoisted herself on top of the crate and tried to make herself comfortable. In any case it couldn't hurt; no doubt they already thought her to be a little unhinged.

"Okay. The Hulk is the alternate personality of Doctor Bruce Banner that appears when he gets angry. He turns into this giant green monster with super strength that destroys everything he comes across in his rage. The angrier he gets the bigger he gets. He's a superhero; well, maybe not superhero by the strictest definition..."

"Superhero?" Shanks asked, interrupting her. He was leaning back in his hammock, idly twirling his straw hat on one, long finger. Hanley couldn't help but briefly pause to admire his very lovely hair.

"Yeah!" Hanley continued, starting to warm up to the subject. "He's okay, but not my favorite. I'm not into the comics enough to remember how the Doctor became the Hulk in the first place. Something to do with gamma rays."  
"Indeed?"

"I like the X-Men more. They're mutants—humans with special powers. One can control the weather, one can shot lasers out of his eyeballs, one has an incredible healing factor, and so on."

"That's handy."  
"But there's another major American comic label called DC. They have some great superheros as well."

"What's an American?"  
"That's a country where I'm from. Anyway, they have other superheros like Batman and Superman."

"Is this Batman a giant bat?" Ben asked, surprising her. Hanley had honestly forgotten he was there.

"No, he just uses the image of the bat to scare criminals. He catches bad guys."

Shanks was actually looking pretty interested, even though it was obvious he had no clue what the hell she was talking about. Hanley was more shocked by the fact that Ben Beckman looked to be intrigued by her stories. He seemed to be a no nonsense sort of person to her, nearly a complete opposite from the Captain.

'There really is no harm in telling them these things. It's not like they're real or anything...'

Like One Piece wasn't real? Wasn't it possible that Stan Lee may have also been onto something?

'Argh, let's just focus on the place I'm in now.'

"Do you have a favorite, Hanley?" Shanks asked.

"It's so hard to say! I mean, I really like Superman—he has it all. He can fly, he has super speed, he has x-ray vision, he has heat vision, he's bulletproof...the only downside is his choice of outfit, really. I mean, I think a red cape is a bit too much. Well, it seems you might disagree with me." Shanks snickered at that, Hanley was pleased to see. "But Superman really is, er, _super_. Not that Natsu-kun agreed with me"

"Natsu-kun?"  
"Natsuhiko, one of my friends that..." Hanley trailed off and bit her lip.

"Ah, I see." came the quiet reply. "He is one of the nakama you lost."

Hanley had never referred to them as nakama, but when she thought about it, yes, that was really the perfect way to describe them. She accepted them and was accepted by them—her first and only friends. The first to ever really see how lonely she was even when she didn't want to admit it. It was sappy but nonetheless _true_.

'If they saw the way I was acting right now they'd laugh at me.'

"Where was I?" Hanley finally asked, managing to contain her grief. She couldn't start sobbing _again_. Hanley never liked crying all that much—you felt out of control and it was embarrassing to do in front of people. She hated the feeling of her eyes and throat burning and her nose scrunching as she tried not to leak snot all over her face.

Shanks stretched and arranged himself more comfortably, even though he didn't look to be going to sleep again anytime soon.

"You were talking about a super man."

"Oh, yes! _Well_--"

'I'll try to do better, Captain Shanks.' The thought came out of nowhere, but Hanley could not find it in herself to ignore it.

**********

Red-Haired Shanks

Shanks's head was still throbbing as Hanley chattered about some children's stories from her homeland. He still couldn't follow her logic on _why_ she felt the need to beam him, but he had to admit she got him good.

He had to wonder, though, that if she had wanted to see what he could do, why not just ask?

'I guess socking me one was more fun.'

He caught her glancing guiltily at him every so often as she spoke about flying men and people from other worlds that could shoot energy blasts from their hands and eyes and other orifices. It was obvious she was trying to find some way to work up to an apology; not surprising, even he noticed in the short time she was a guest on their ship she had a hard time verbally admitting fault. Shanks decided he'd leave her to it—he wasn't the kind to demand apologies anyway unless the situation really warranted such a thing.

The _Red Dawn_ was moving along quicker than expected, almost as if they were being carried along by something other than the current. At this rate, they might actually be able to make landfall the night after tomorrow. Hanley was very relaxed, even smiling a bit as her stories slowly changed into ones about her nakama. Shanks listened willingly, getting the impression that Hanley was being completely truthful. So what did that mean? Now that she was no longer being hysterical, the girl didn't seem to be that crazy at all.

"Captain?" Hanley asked suddenly, interrupting her own tale.

"Hm? What is it?"

"This is very real, isn't it?"

Shanks blinked and scratched his head thoughtfully, wincing as his nails ran close to the tender spot on his head. He assumed she was talking about her ending up on a pirate ship.

"I like to think so, depends on your definition of real, really. And if it isn't?"

"I guess...I don't know. I keep thinking that I'm going to wake up." Hanley frowned and stared at her knees, "but I'm not going to just wake up, am I? Like, what would happen if I just jumped overboard? I'd probably end up like I was when I first got here—nearly dead. This place shouldn't be here, but it _is_ here, and I don't know what to do."

"Well, I can't tell you what to do. I can only give you some advice: do what you think is best. Do whatever you need to do." Shanks shrugged. Inspirational speeches weren't really his forte.

"Make the best of things, you mean? Well, you might be right. Crying and throwing tantrums hasn't done anything for me," Hanley hesitated and looked up at him, wincing slightly. "I'm...sorry."

"Sorry for what?" He knew, of course, but he wanted her to say it.

"For calling you names, for hitting you, for acting like a brat. You all saved my life and I threw that back in your faces. I'm ashamed of myself."  
Shanks sat up, "Don't be so hard on yourself. You're only, what, thirteen?"  
"Er, ten," Hanley corrected, looking embarrassed.

"Really?? But you're so big--" Shanks coughed at the furious look she gave him. "--I mean, so mature and capable! I never would have guessed! Your parents must be proud."  
Hanley sighed, looking uncomfortable, "I don't have any parents. And I wonder if my grandparents would have been happy with my behavior. Probably not."

"No parents, hm?"

"No..." she fell silent then, lost in her own thoughts.

Shanks looked at Ben and saw him smiling. Hey, he guessed he wasn't so bad with little girls after all.

"You'll be just fine. If all else fails, just take a sake bottle and beat them up."

Hanley blushed even darker.

Shanks hoisted himself from his hammock and stretched.

"We looking good?" he asked, directing the question to his first mate.  
"Very," Ben answered before he lit a cigarette, "lookout reports clear sky and sea. I'm surprised we're moving so fast, to be honest. I've never seen the _Red Dawn_ act this way."

"Huh. Guess it wants to make sure Hanley gets somewhere safe and away from us lowlifes," Shanks laughed and ruffled the girl's hair. He was pleased to note that she grinned at him, even after slapping his hand away.

"That's very nice of it, but I'm...well, I just don't know what to do."  
Ben glanced at her, "We can find you something to do, if you don't mind. Can you cook?" Though there really wasn't a lot she could do on the ship. It certainly wasn't that big, and most of the work was taken care of by the actual apprentices and crewmen. Shanks also doubted she could handle the physical labor.

Hanley's face changed and looked fairly excited. "It's not that far to dinner, right? I can make my grandmother's stew as a thank you."

"There you go!" Shanks said cheerfully. "Go and bother Humphrey in the galley."

"Okay!" she said brightly and hopped up. She beamed at him before clambering down the stairs to the small galley.

"I'm still confused, though," Ben spoke up a moment after she disappeared, "just why did she hit you, again?"

"I have one of those faces, probably. Maybe she wanted to add another scar."

"Well, it could have done nothing but improve it."

"Hey now! I'll have you know I was quite popular before I headed out to sea."

Ben nodded, "Oh, I'm quite sure. So popular the girls would stake their claim by trying to disfigure you."

"When you got it, you got it."

Ben scoffed and threw a grin his direction before returning to the helm. The speed at which they were traveling didn't allow them to leave the helm for more than a few moments or go off course. Shanks briefly wondered if Hanley had anything to do with it, as the ship suddenly gained its new speed when she came aboard, but quickly dismissed that thought.

"Wonder what her grandmother's stew is made of."

*

He shouldn't have asked. When Humphrey rang the bell, Shanks was first in line as usual, eager to fill his stomach and see what Hanley managed to come up with. When he saw Humphrey's warning look, he should have taken heed. Foolishly he dismissed it and quickly made his way up to Hanley, who looked pleased. She was obviously happy at the chance to redeem herself through actions instead of awkward wording.

"This is it, I hope you like it," Hanley said and pointed to the large, bubbling pot on the stove. It didn't smell that bad, but when Shanks lifted it he barely managed not to slam it back down in horror.

What did he just see? What travesty did he just witness?

Humphrey gave him a look before shooing him to the table. The cook began to load up his serving cart and began to make the rounds, starting with Shanks first and making his way down the chain of command. If it weren't for the fact he was also a potential victim, Shanks would have found the faces of his men quite hilarious.

Okay, they were still hilarious, but he could empathize.

Yasopp cleared his throat first, "So, uh, what is this, Hanley?"

Hanley grinned and Shanks could feel his stomach drop. Dammit, she was completely unaware of how bad it was and what should he do now? He didn't feel right teasing her, he knew that much, and he didn't want to make her feel bad when this was supposed to be an apology and dammit what exactly is that floating in his serving?

"My grandmother's Mystery Stew. I wanted to make it as a thank you present." Shanks looked at his crew and saw varying expressions of, "dammit, we're going to have to eat this aren't we?" and "crap, why did she have to be a little _girl_?" and "why did she have to bring up a grandmother?"

They were really a bunch of softies, weren't they?

Ben looked stoic as usual, Yasopp was trying hard to keep his face straight, and even Lucky Roux was looking hesitant.

Ishamon, on the other hand, looked ready to smite the fool who dared to say one bad thing about Hanley's cooking.

"That's very kind of you, Hanley, I'm sure we'll enjoy it." The last note turned dark and many of his nakama were quick to agree.

Hanley beamed and Shanks knew it was all over.

"Okay, then please enjoy."

"Why don't you go first, Captain? After all, this is all thanks to you." Lucky Roux suggested meaningfully.

Shanks gave a weak laugh, "Well, technically Ben was the one who came up with the idea."

"Indeed. But as Captain you should take responsibility for your crew." Ben answered, giving him a look. Shanks coughed and turned to his stew. Ben could be scary when he felt like it.

"I guess I'll take the honors." Shanks stirred the stew (he wasn't a gourmand, but even he could see she had overcooked it in her inexperience) before steeling himself and took a huge mouthful.

For a moment, he thought he saw Heaven.

And then his consciousness came crashing down to earth. His mouth was on fire from too many conflicting spices, and the heat slowly crept down his throat like some sort of twisted form of torture. He barely managed to contain his (exceedingly manly, mind you) tears of pain. The meat was rubbery, the vegetables soggy, and he wasn't even sure how she managed to make something so bad out of something that should have been relatively simple. Wasn't Humphrey supervising her? What was he _thinking_??

But Shanks forced a smile and nodded.

"It's...full of flavor and...uh, very interesting."

Hanley breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you! I was afraid I messed up when I accidentally kept it on high heat. And you didn't have the ingredients I needed so I just made some replacements."

'This is very obvious, Hanley. Very, very obvious.'

"We're very happy you made the effort, Hanley," Ishamon interrupted diplomatically, "now just let us old guys eat our fill and run along, hm? There are some subjects you don't need to hear about."

Hanley nodded and made a face, "You're definitely better about that than my grandma. She'd always go on and on about the time she went through menopause and how it was hell to be over a hot stove while having flashes--"

Yasopp nearly died.

"--I'll be on the deck, then! I'll find something to do." She smiled brightly and left them to their suffering.

Ishamon turned to them. "Now eat and be grateful."

"We're glad you like her and all but..." one of the younger lads trailed off at the cold look Ishamon sent his way.

"Humphrey?" Yasopp asked hopefully. The cook shook his head.

"Sorry, but I don't exactly have time to whip up anything else. She kinda pushed me out and demanded I let her make something nice for Captain Shanks."

"As you said, Shanks, 'when you got it, you got it,'" Ben commented as he choked down his stew.

Shanks laughed and nodded, "Guess so! Let's just hope I can survive it."

"Maybe she is trying to assassinate the notorious Red Haired Shanks and his crew after all."

"Yeah, I think this is the second attempt on my life."

"What do you mean?" Ishamon asked as he poured salt into his stew. Shanks couldn't help but think that a largely futile gesture, but as always he admired the man's bravery.

"Oh, she hit me with a sake bottle earlier while I was sleeping."

"She what??" Ishamon cried angrily. Shanks quickly held up a hand.

"I'm not hurt."

"Oh you're too stupid to get hurt. I'm just angry about her behavior."  
"It's no big deal, she was very sorry. I think she was trying to see if I had super powers."

"Still, I better talk with her. She shouldn't do things like that, she could seriously hurt someone." Shanks tactfully decided not to comment on Ishamon taking on the role as Hanley's surrogate father figure.

"Anyway, she could have found another way to show her gratitude," a crewman commented.

Ishamon shrugged as he took a bite, anger fading as quickly as it came, "Actually, I sort of like it. My girls used to do this all the time."

The crew fell a little silent at that, but soon bounced back as they joked about the taste and having Hanley take over Humphrey's job. Anything to distract themselves, really. The men bravely continued on, even in the face of their comrades falling left and right.

"I guess this isn't so bad! I never got to experience this sort of thing myself," remarked Yasopp, clearly thinking about his own son.

"Oh, looks like I'm done!" Shanks said as he stood.

"We saw you pour it in the barrel, you're not smooth, you know," Lucky Roux remarked.

"Lucky Roux I am smooth like butter. Have fun, men!" Shanks quickly made a tactical retreat.

Shanks appeared top side and took a deep gulp of fresh air as if it would bring some relief to his taste buds. When they got to Fuschia, he would have to see if Makino could take Hanley in, if only so she could teach the girl how to cook properly. It wouldn't do to have her accidentally kill someone with her cooking. Not only that, but Fuschia really was the best choice for the girl; Hanley seemed to have nowhere else to go, and she appeared to be stable enough to enter a foster home. Hopefully, someday, she'd get back to where she belonged, but it was curious that for all of her talk about her nakama and grandparents, she never spoke about her birthplace again. She certainly never pressured them to look for her island, so it was a little strange, he admitted. He had made it clear earlier he was willing to make the detour, but...

Shanks spotted Hanley seated on the prow of the ship and he made his way toward her. He'll check on her before turning in so his stomach could recuperate. It was already burning unpleasantly. As he moved closer, he was aware that she was singing something.

"--near, far, wherEVER you are! I believe that the heart does go on!" she sang, off key and swinging her arms about in goofy, exaggerated movements. She was facing out toward the sea and so into her performance she had no idea he was there.

Shanks barely managed to keep his composure. He had to try several times before he could speak without cackling at her.

"Uh, Hanley--"

"Once more, you OPEN the door!"

"Han--"

"And you're here in my heart and my heart will go on and ooooooooon!" Her voice cracked toward the end as she couldn't hold the note, and when she began to spin in circles with an imaginary dance partner, Shanks began to back away. Slowly.

"You're here, there's NOTHING I fear! And I know that my heart will go on! We'll stay forEVER this way--"

'I think I'll let her have her fun. At least until she gets her "heart" under control.' But he never got the chance to save her dignity when she tripped on a rope, forcing Shanks to immediately rush forward to catch her before she lost a tooth.

"Oh, Captain Shanks! Thanks for catching me," Hanley said as she regained her balance. "Um, how long were you there?"

"Not long."

It was pretty amusing to watch dread slowly creep onto her face. "...You saw, didn't you?"  
"I'm pleased you found something to do to occupy your time. You have an interesting singing voice."

Almost as bad as her cooking.

"Uh, yeah," she was clearly trying to hide her mortification, "I...yeah."

"So, what were you singing about?"

"That? Oh, er, love song."

"I could tell."

"Yeah. I mean, it's from this movie about a huge ship—well, the ship sank and a lot of people died, but there was a romance, and..."

"I can't unsee what I just saw, so maybe it's best if you stop right there," Shanks said mercifully.

Hanley grumbled and kicked at the deck.

"Don't worry about it, it makes you seem more like a kid."  
"I am a kid! I'm just tall, okay?" she huffed and gave a small pout. Shanks laughed and shook his head.

"Anyway! I just came to check up on you before I head to bed."

"Oh, already?"

Shanks's stomach rolled unpleasantly, "Yes, already. I think Ishamon wants to talk to you about earlier today. With the sake bottle."

Hanley's face fell and became resigned.

"Oh, don't worry about Ishamon—he's just concerned for you."

Hanley sighed. She looked up at him, "Does he think I'm crazy?"  
"What? After living with us? He probably sees you as the one sane person on board."  
"I hope not. I didn't act very sane."

Shanks chuckled, "I'll elaborate: _compared to the rest of us._ You were a little worrying, but it seems to have worked out. Ah, one more thing. Have you decided on what you're going to do?"

"Not really, I don't think I can get home so easily."

"Why not?" Shanks pressed, hoping to get some answers. Now that Hanley was willing to admit no island name Japan existed, he was hoping for more clues on where she came from.

Hanley pressed her lips into a thin line and Shanks knew that was all he was going to get from her.

"Okay then, I'll see you in the morning."  
"Good night, Captain Shanks."

"Night." Shanks waved and made his way back to the stern of the ship and his quarters. He could see men stumbling from below deck, holding their stomachs but determined to toughen it out. They certainly didn't want to get on Ishamon's bad side.

'I'll have to tell Ishamon about her singing—he'll enjoy that, and hopefully he won't be too stern with her.' Shanks hummed softly before groaning and rubbing his stomach. 'Argh, maybe she was trying to kill us.'

**********

Amano Hanley

Hanley was still sulking when she climbed up on deck the following afternoon. Ishamon had gotten a hold of her that morning and let her have it, metaphorically speaking. He was in full out lecture mode, telling her in great detail just how much damage she could have done and why her hitting their captain (even if he was an idiot a good deal of the time) was not acceptable. At all. In any circumstance. After he looked disapprovingly at her he set her to organizing his workspace—which really was a punishment, considering the state it was in. She had just now finished and Ishamon let her leave the stuffy infirmary with another warning look thrown at her back.

Hanley couldn't help but feel a little resentful—sure, maybe she should have gotten punished, but he wasn't her grandpa! She barely kept herself from blurting out how she wasn't his kid, but even she realized how rude and horrible that would have been. Then she felt guilty for even thinking it when he was just trying to take care of her.

Hanley idly ran her fingers along her magatama as she sat on top of a pile of rope on deck. It made a surprisingly comfortable seat if you adjusted yourself accordingly, and she managed to have some fun distracting herself by simply watching the men go about their business. It was weird, though, as there were definitely far fewer than usual; most were below deck, still in their hammocks. Were they sick or something?

It wasn't sunny at all today; instead, it was overcast with dark clouds looming in the distance. It was so gray and generally colorless that even the sea and sky started to become indistinguishable from each other as they met in the distance. It was the worst, as the extra moisture in the air, which was already quite saturated, began to turn her hair into a frizzy mess. Her hair had never really recovered from her day roasting in the sun as none of the men on board seemed to possess any shampoo or conditioner, and the thought of borrowing a brush was revolting to her, if any of them had any. On top of that, the resulting drop in temperature pretty much forced her to borrow someone's sweater. She tried not to think which of these hairy, sweaty guys she yanked it from, but it was clean and didn't have a smell, so she made do. It was still thin, but far better than the shirt.

'From an ugly gray shirt to an ugly blue sweater. Someone needs to shop for these guys.'

Yasopp assured her that it wouldn't storm, and as much as Hanley wanted to believe him, her near death experience wasn't exactly something she could dismiss. She only saw Shanks for a moment, and he gave her a cheerful wave before holing himself up in his cabin. She was largely left alone as usual, which worked out fine for her. It'd be beyond weird if she were randomly the center of attention.

The _Red Dawn_ was currently anchored so they could catch fish for lunch. She was offered a line and lure, but Hanley quickly turned that down. She had had enough of fishing in her life, thanks to her obsessed grandpa.

Hanley tried not to think about how much she missed them.

Instead, she tried to focus on how unnaturally quiet it was. Hanley hadn't been on the ship long, but she knew that this near silence during midday was quite unusual. It was so quiet she could hear the waves as they sloshed against the hull of the ship, the men talking quietly amongst themselves as they fished, and the general background noise of sails snapping and wooden boards creaking. It nearly put her to sleep when the lookout's shout shocked her out of her daze.

"Man in the water!"

"Another one?" cried one of the crewmates as he raced to the starboard side to see. Hanley clambered on top of her pile of ropes and looked over the side as well. Her heart was racing in her chest and she could barely breathe. Was it one of her friends? Judging from what the lookout said, the only one whose description fit was Daisuke-sensei, but Hanley couldn't help but allow hope to swell up in her.

It was difficult to make him out without a spyglass, and the cloudy sky and sea only made it even more of a chore. As he drifted closer, Hanley could make out a huge, broad frame and a mess of bright hair. She barely registered the crushing disappointment before she stifled a short cry and let her forehead fall onto the wooden railing.

'Not Daisuke-sensei, not him at all.' She surprised at how grieved she felt when her hopes were dashed. She was sure she had gotten a hold of herself yesterday, yet her chest constricted and her eyes and throat burned from unshed tears. Hanley sniffled and scolded herself for her foolishness. The situation was so similar to hers that she just couldn't help but hope.

"What's all this, gents?" Yasopp asked as he exited the cabin. Shanks, Ben, and Lucky Roux were close behind, drawn by the shouts.

"We have another body in the water, sir!" answered the nearest crewman. Yasopp frowned and whipped out a collapsible spyglass from his waistband and took a look.

"Huh, another one. Well, this time it's a grown man."

Shanks grinned and made his way down to deck level. "We're just fishing out all sorts of people, aren't we?"

"What do you think we should do?"

Shanks was fell silent, staring out at the man drifting along in the water. Hanley was a little horrified. What was there to think about, really? Why _not_ rush and get him? Where would she be if they decided she wasn't worth the effort?

"Shanks, I think you should go," Hanley piped up, flinching back a bit when all of the men turned to stare at her. Shanks blinked and gave her his trademark grin.

"Hoh? You think so? Well, why not?"

Ben's eyebrow raised, "We are? Even though--"

"Prepare a boat. We'll bring him in," Shanks interrupted. He looked Hanley in her eyes, "How's that, Hanley?"

"Fine, thank you," Hanley responded slowly, perplexed that he was willing to follow her suggestion.

The men were rushing to obey Shanks's order, quickly lowering a dinghy into the water. It was a short trip, as the current carried the body towards the _Dawn._ Hanley watched them haul the large body out of the water and make their way back to the ship. It took some maneuvering to get him onto the ship, but it wasn't long before he was on deck, coughing and wheezing. Ishamon appeared from below and pushed his way through the crowd to take a look.

"Thank you, I thought I was going to die," the man croaked. He gulped down some water and sighed with obvious relief. "if you could spare some food as well, I would be eternally grateful."

Shanks gave a lopsided grin and shrugged, "Oh, don't thank me. Thank our Hanley over there. She convinced us to come get you."

Hanley blushed when the man turned to look at her. He gave a wide smile as he bowed his head.

"You are too kind, little lady."

"I-It's fine," she muttered. She felt nervous as she watched him smile at her in gratitude. It seemed wrong somehow, as if he wasn't used to making such an expression and his muscles weren't sure how to contract and expand accordingly.

"So what's your name, friend?" Shanks asked, motioning for an apprentice to bring up some food from the kitchen.

"And what happened? It isn't everyday we see someone floating in the ocean," Ben added coolly, shouldering his long rifle.

"Name's Krieg. I'm a fisherman from a nearby island." The man nodded when he was given a plate. He immediately took a large bite from an apple and continued, "a couple of hoodlums made off with my boat. I tried to pursue them, but my dinghy sprung a leak. Lost sight of them a long time ago."

"Were they pirates?" Yasopp asked casually. Hanley saw Krieg's eyes flicker up to the Jolly Roger hanging from the mainmast.

"I honestly don't know," Krieg answered after a moment of hesitation, "I don't think so, though."

"Well, a few hoodlums aren't nothing to worry about. Don't worry, we have no intention of finishing their work," Shanks said, baring his teeth in a smile.

"Much obliged, sir."

"Well, that's enough gawking, lads! Get back to work!"

"AYE!"

Hanley's fingers wrapped around her magatama as she watched Krieg scarf down his meal, idly noting how hot it felt against her skin. Saving Krieg was the right thing to do, she was sure of it.

Then why did it feel _weird_?

She didn't have a reason to think he was lying, but...erg, maybe she was thinking too much.

"Hanley?" Ishamon called when he packed up his bag.

"Yes, sir?" she replied, still stinging a bit from his lecture. Ishamon's lips twitched into a small smile.

"Come on, let's keep you occupied, hm?" he beckoned for her to follow him back to the Infirmary. Hanley nodded and scampered after him, subconsciously veering away from Krieg when she passed.

*

Her feelings turned out to be correct.

Hanley jumped awake and sat up in bed. It was late and the ship was eerily quiet. Her magatama was burning, nearly scorching her collarbone.

"Geez, my father sure knows how to pick presents," Hanley grumbled in irritation. She sighed and slipped out of her cot.

'I'm wide awake now, dammit. I may as well take a walk.' She stepped into her sandals and inched by a snoring Ishamon. Hanley exited the infirmary and climbed up the steps, feeling restless and unsure why that was. The afternoon and evening had passed uneventfully, and the _Red Dawn_ was quickly approaching port.

The overcast day turned into an incredibly foggy night. Hanley could barely see a foot in front of her face. She crept forward, looking about in interest. It was eery, and the atmosphere reminded her of some of the horror movies Hitomi made her sit through back at home. Those really stupid ones, where this group of kids were randomly in some forest, conveniently stranded, and they would run around without a bit of sense when--

"Shit!" She had ran headfirst into the mast. She groaned as she clutched her nose and glared at the offending mass of wood. She had somehow missed it even with the small lantern hanging from a brass hook about a foot above her head. The fog still made it very hard to see, however, and even when standing in the lantern's glow she could not see very far. She couldn't even make out the sides of the hull from her position.

As Hanley tried to recover, she heard someone's heavy footsteps as they approached her from behind. She nearly fell flat on her face when she whirled around to see who was coming.

"H-Hello?" She peered through the fog, wondering if _she_ were the one without a lick of sense.

"Oh, so it was you I heard," Krieg's deep voice came from the darkness, just outside the small ring of light. He stepped forward out of the fog, and Hanley couldn't help but think that this was more like a horror movie than she was comfortable with. The light cast sharp shadows on Krieg's face, emphasizing the way his lips were twisted into a fierce parody of a smile and how his eyes appeared to glow like an animal's. He looked nothing short of feral—his sharp canines and thick, shaggy hair and muttonchops only furthering his resemblance to that of a wild dog.

"You're up late," Hanley said as she began to inch backwards. Her back hit the mast, restricting her escape route. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and Krieg gave her a crooked smile, looking as if he could sense her fear and was thoroughly enjoying it.

"I see I'm not the only one. What brings you out here, Hanley?"  
"Oh, nothing!" she raised her voice, hoping the lookout could hear her, for _someone_ to hear her, "I was just going back to bed, so why don't I just--"

"Are we leaving so soon? I thought you'd want to be awake to enjoy this!" Krieg raised his arms with a sharp laugh.

Hanley licked her lips, readying herself to make a break for it past him to Shanks' cabin. He looked to be too big to be very quick, so she was sure she would make it if she just--

"Enjoy what, Krieg-san?"  
"Why, my most effective strategy, the Blitz Krieg!" It was as if it was straight out of a bad movie; the only difference being Krieg's flair for the dramatic was genuinely terrifying. Now that she was so close to him, she could make out the size difference between them, and it was bordering on comical. Krieg could crush her, easily. His face twisted even more cruelly in the lantern light, almost daring her to do something.

And she had brought the animal on board.

This was all her fault! Shanks wouldn't have brought Krieg aboard if not for her! How could she be so stupid??

"From the look on your face, I can tell you're finally catching on," Krieg taunted. Various dark shapes began to appear in the fog. "I've been waiting for an opportunity such as this. Imagine my surprise it was actually the ship of the notorious Red-Haired Shanks! Surely this is a sign!" Hanley couldn't see very well, but she realized the shapes had to be Krieg's crew. They gave a few scattered barks of laughter but were largely silent as the moved in the fog. It was too late! Krieg must have already taken care of the watch from his position on the ship! Despite the chill, Hanley was practically sweating buckets, her knees felt like they were made of jelly, and she was certain she was one more nasty surprise away from vomiting.

"Why don't you be a good girl? I won't hurt you," he continued. Yeah, as if she could believe that. "You're a lucky girl, really. I'll even spare you to repay for your kindness." Krieg spat out that last word as if it were a curse.

'I have to move, I have to shout, make an alarm. I have to do something! He'll take over the ship and kill them!' But she felt rooted to the spot, her mind racing a mile a minute but her body felt heavy, useless. Krieg sneered at her and roared,

"Bring them out! Don't kill any of them just yet, they're worth more alive!!!"

"AYE!"

She was such a fool. All she could do was sink to the deck with a sob. They were going to get killed and it was all her fault; they had saved her life and made her welcome and--

Torches were lit and provided more light to the darkness. She could see Shanks' crew being dragged from below deck; they looked rebellious, but they didn't cause any trouble as they were marched to the center of the top deck and forced to sit. She stared at them, mentally counting each face. Hanley knew most if not all of the crew after her time on board, and one absence was particularly glaring.

'Where's Ishamon-sensei?'

Krieg's delighted laugh brought her to the present, "Well, look who's here. Red-Haired Shanks."

Hanley gulped and watched as two very large pirates escorted Shanks to their boss. She could make out Ben, Yasopp, and Lucky Roux being held at gunpoint by the cabin. Shanks, for his part, looked completely and utterly calm. Amused, even, almost as if this were one big joke and he was waiting patiently for the punchline. Hanley was sure the man was insane.

Shanks spotted her and his smile grew, "Oh, Hanley, you're alright! Looks like they were telling the truth...good thing, too." Was it just her imagination, or did he look...dangerous? For that brief second?

Krieg gave another one of his feral grins, "If it isn't Red-Haired Shanks. I'm surprised! Judging from your reputation, I thought you would put up more of a fight."

"Well, you sure got me!" Shanks laughed. "I don't function very well if I don't take my daily naps, you see."

Krieg's face twitched, obviously annoyed at Shanks's unconcerned behavior.

"I'm glad you're taking it so well. This wouldn't be the first time I used this trick, so I'm happy to see you don't feel bad."

"I thought so. So, what are you planning to do? Take my treasure? Steal my ship?"

Krieg smiled, "Oh, I'm definitely doing that. But I'm also planning on turning you in and taking the reward money as well."

Shanks winced and made an exaggerated hiss through his teeth, "Ooh. I was with you until that point, Krieg. See, I can't allow that, I'm sorry to say. I rather need my head. You'll just have to think of something else."

"Silence!!" Krieg roared, causing Hanley to flinch. "You have quite some nerve, Shanks. I can see you aren't completely undeserving of your reputation." Krieg walked up and casually confiscated Shanks's saber. He unsheathed it and turned it over, the blade glinting in the low light.

"The pirate Red-Haired Shanks. Known for being powerful, crafty, and causing quite a bit of chaos around Marine Bases. The way your bounty has grown since you first set sail under your flag hasn't been seen in years," Krieg gave the saber an experimental swing, "But what do I see? A scrawny pretty boy that's more concerned about his alcohol supply than piracy! It's quite disgraceful."

"Well, better than a man that would take advantage of a young girl's kindness instead of challenging his opponent outright--"

Hanley screamed when Krieg suddenly whirled and swung the blade, barely stopping before he reached Shanks's neck.

Shanks didn't even bat an eye.

"Are you quite done? I rather like that sword so I would appreciate it if you gave it back."

Hanley was sure Shanks was a dead man, but instead Krieg laughed and sheathed the saber.

"I would do anything to win, anything at all! _That_ is the mark of a true pirate, Red-Hair. What do you think you're doing, sailing around the seas as if life was one big party?? You don't know the meaning of the word."

"Is that so?"  
"It is so. This is what you deserve for taking orders from a little girl," Krieg looked at her. "Watch closely, little girl. I will show you how _true_ pirates handle their business."

Shanks smiled, "Yes, Hanley, watch closely."

Hanley could only sob in reply.

"Hey now, don't cry. Whatever happens, I want you to understand that you were right," Shanks said.

Hanley stared at him, "What?? H-How could you say that??"

"Saving someone's life is never something to be ashamed about, I want you to know that. It's a good thing."

Krieg sneered, "How touching. Kill the crew, just to teach this soft hearted fool a lesson."

"No!!" Hanley shrieked. She didn't want them die because of her! They didn't do anything! Hanley covered her ears and closed her eyes, unable to witness the results of her failure.

When no shots or screams came, she hesitantly opened her eyes.

Several of Krieg's men were lying motionlessly on the deck, bleeding heavily from the multiple knives sticking out of their bodies. They looked like macabre pincushions, and Hanley honestly couldn't tell if they were alive or dead. If the situation wasn't, well, life and death, Krieg's flummoxed expression would have been hilarious.

"Who is responsible for this?? Show yourself!" Krieg roared, unsheathing Shanks's sword and flinging the sheath away.

"That would be me, I'm afraid," Ishamon said calmly, stepping into the light. He was adjusting his bifocals with his right hand while his left held scalpels between each finger, blades facing outward. "I purposefully missed the vital organs, they're still alive if you care."

'Those weren't knives, they were scalpels...' Hanley thought in shock. She had no idea he could do that! Where the fuck did that come from?? What kind of doctor was he supposed to be??

"Are you okay, Hanley?" Ishamon asked kindly, as if he didn't just turn ninja and smite his foes. Hanley nodded weakly, gulping.

"Oh, there you are! What took you so long? Thanks for helping me out, Ishamon!" Shanks said cheerfully. Ishamon rolled his eyes.

"Who wants to save your ass? I was making sure Hanley wouldn't be harmed."

"Ah, I see how it is. You see what I have to deal with? Being a pirate captain is hard work," the last sentence was directed to Krieg, whose face was contorting from rage.

"YOU--"  
"Weren't you the one that said something about doing whatever it takes to win?" Shanks asked, voice slightly mocking. Both sides stared at each other.

Then Krieg turned and attacked her.

Hanley dove to the side, barely managing to dodge Krieg's angry slash at her head mostly from sheer dumb luck rather than any skill. She could feel the air whistling as the edge of the blade barely missed her; her hair wasn't so lucky. Tangled clumps fell to the deck as she crashed to the ground. She wasn't sure when she started screaming, but now she was sobbing incoherently as she crawled as fast as she could, away from the crazed pirate. Ishamon darted forward, taking down three more of Krieg's men with a scalpel to the throat. He grabbed her and rolled forward, saving her life when Krieg brought down the saber in fury, smashing the wood where she was the split second before. Then he was on his feet and running toward the stern, Hanley held tightly in his arms.

The action was incredibly fast and muddled, making it very difficult to follow. But, it was bloody and violent and ugly, with men falling left and right. She saw Yasopp and Lucky Roux firing their guns, with Ben using his rifle like a club. Out of the corner of her eye, Shanks suddenly dropped to the deck, loosening his captors' grips before sweeping their legs from under them and charging head first at Krieg.

"Shanks--!"

"He'll be fine, lass!" Ishamon set her down and began to provide support for his crew, slicing vulnerable parts of the human body with practiced ease.

It wasn't long before Shanks's crew cleaned out Krieg's, tossing them overboard like garbage. Only Krieg was left, and it was clear he was Shanks's prey. The fight was quick, but nasty. Krieg swung his stolen blade wildly, and tried to use his larger frame as a battering ram. Shanks rolled smoothly to the side and was quickly on his feet, kicking Krieg's wrist to disarm him.

"I told you I liked that sword," Shanks said as he easily ducked under Krieg's sloppy grapple.

"You runt!"

"Heh." Shanks ducked once more under a powerful haymaker. The punch collided with the mast and took out a large chunk of paneling. Hanley gaped. How in the hell was that possible??

"You nearly had me there!" Shanks called, dancing backward. Krieg roared and charged forward like a berserker, managing to clip Shanks's shoulder with one meaty fist. That glancing blow was enough to send Shanks airborne and off balance.

But the red headed captain expertly used the momentum to add power to his own attack. Hanley didn't even realize he was chambering a kick until he twisted his body and smashed his heel into Krieg's jaw with a deafening crunch, stopping the larger man in his tracks. Krieg gave a weak croak and stumbled backward until he crashed onto the deck with a rumbling boom.

Shanks calmly stood and cracked his neck, "It's amazing that someone with such a big mouth has such a weak jaw." He checked his straw hat for damage before putting it back on his head.

"Shanths..." Krieg slurred, trying to sit up.  
"How are we doing there, Glass Jaw Krieg?" Shanks walked over and grabbed him by the shirt, easily lifting him despite Krieg's mass. "You don't attack any of my nakama, am I understood?" His voice seemed to create an odd sort of pressure in the air, as if it was affecting the atmosphere itself.

Hanley became light headed and swayed. She shuddered and found herself rapidly blinking in surprise. If it weren't for Ishamon, she'd have toppled backwards.

'Did he just make me _swoon_?' Hanley thought, trying to put words to Shanks's sudden display of power. It was gone the next moment, making it even more difficult to name.

Shanks cut a powerful figure in the dim light, easily holding Krieg as he dragged the barely conscious pirate to the port side of the ship.

"If you're lucky, Krieg, a Marine ship just might pick you up."

Krieg coughed and glared, "You won't hear the last of me, Shanks. I'll gather a crew so large no one will be able to stop me--"

Shanks laughed at him, "You'll need an entire navy to defeat me, Krieg. But if it means so much to you, come seek me out when you think you have the strength." Shanks tossed him overboard, effectively ending the conversation.

"Oh hell..." Hanley breathed as she tried to process what just happened. She looked around her at the injured crewmen and the blood staining the wood of the _Red Dawn_. Her hand covered her mouth and she swooned again, this time from shock and horror. She nearly died. Again! She nearly got them all killed, she...

"Hanley, focus," Ishamon ordered as he gripped her shoulders.

"Is this what I have to look forward to??" Hanley cried. "Living in fear of pirate attacks?? It's my fault Krieg came aboard--"

"That is enough, Hanley," Shanks said as he walked up. "Didn't I tell you that you did the right thing?"  
"Morally, maybe! But I was stupid! I just blindingly trusted him!"

"Ah, there's the rub, ain't it?" Shanks knelt before her.

Hanley took a deep breath, trying not to look at the blood and think of the men she put into jeopardy, "Was he right? Is that what pirates really are, here? Are you all like that?"

"What do you think?"

Hanley shook her head and ran her fingers distractingly through her hair. She groaned when she realized a large chunk of her hair was now lying on the deck. What did she think about them? Hanley never really put any thought into it—at the end of the day, she knew she wasn't going to be hurt here. She knew Shanks and Ishamon-sensei and everyone were good men. But they were pirates. Did Krieg have it right? Maybe he was the norm and Shanks and his crew were essentially a band of rebels among rebels?

"Do what you want 'cos a pirate is free..." Hanley muttered softly, remembering a video from the internet. Her English wasn't so good that she immediately knew the meaning, but once she read the translated lyrics she got the gist of it. It was from a kid's show, of all things, but it just popped into her head. Maybe...

Shanks chuckled, "Another song, Hanley?"  
Hanley blushed, "It just reminded me of something, that's all. What do you think a pirate should be?"

"Should be? Well, I can't say much about what a pirate should be, Hanley, but what a pirate _is,_ I can say, is about making your own rules. It's the freedom, Hanley, that comes with sailing the seas under your own flag. Many men mistake that for mindless violence and willful slaughter," he stood and smiled down at her, "but it's more about having a dream and doing what it takes to make it come true. It's a true man's romance!" He laughed freely and his men cheered with him. Despite the fact they were just in danger, they were laughing and singing as they raised the anchor and unfurled the sails.

They were going to leave Krieg and his band behind in the water and move on as if nothing had happened.

Ishamon saw her bemused look and chuckled.

"They're quite the bunch of loons, aren't they? Will you be alright?"

Hanley sighed and rubbed her face. "I...still have to think. I'm not like you guys, I can't just turn around and laugh after nearly getting my head chopped off." She was still unable to stand, and her stomach was still rebelling against any kind of movement.

She was content to sit and watch at the moment as Shanks and his crew broke out the last of their sake and partied. After all, they were pretty close to port.

Piracy, Hanley decided, was more than terrorizing citizens and sailing. It was fun, dangerous, and a great many things in between, yet Hanley was sure there was something else going on underneath the surface. There was an odd structure to it, and Hanley got the sense there really was a _proper_ way of doing things. Krieg had to be wrong; Krieg was little more than a brute.

'A man's romance? How weird.'

*

Hanley couldn't sleep at all that night, still too keyed up from the attack. Every time she closed her eyes she could see Krieg's feral smile in her mind. It left her tired and irritable, but she did her best to bite her tongue considering just who was at fault.

Hanley was forced to borrow one of Ishamon's scalpels so she could cut her hair. Now, instead of falling down her back it rested just above her shoulders in a frizzy mess. She couldn't wait to get to port, if only to get a proper bath and comb.

"Land ho!" came a cry from above deck. Hanley grinned and looked at Ishamon hopefully. He nodded and waved her off.

"I'm just about done here anyway. I know what supplies to stock up on, so go ahead."

Hanley raced to the top deck and quickly made her way to the bow. Shanks was, _somehow_, standing on top the figurehead, having no problems balancing as the ship moved beneath him.

'I'm nearly about to give up trying to apply logic to these people. Still, this is what I wanted to find out, right? I don't think I've even seen anything close to what's possible here.' she thought wryly.

Shanks looked back and held up a hand in greeting.

"Hanley! Do you see that island up ahead? That's our temporary base, Fuschia Village."

Hanley leaned over the side to see an island quickly approaching. This ship moved pretty fast without a motor!

"You have a decision to make, Hanley," Shanks said. Hanley looked up at him in confusion.

"What decision, Captain Shanks?"

"We can't take you with us, you know."

"W-What??" Hanley cried before she could stop herself.

"You're not coming with us. I'm sure the attack last night gave you some indication as to why?"

Hanley sighed and returned her gaze to the upcoming island. He was right, she knew. The seas were too dangerous, and she didn't want to put herself in that kind of situation. She'd probably hold them all back. They must have adventures to go on, new places to see; while she had yet to really figure out what being a pirate meant, she was pretty sure babysitting wasn't on the list.

But where would she go? Where would she live? She was only ten, they didn't expect her to work, did they?

"Don't worry, though," Shanks spoke up, probably seeing her expression, "we're not going to just leave you here without someone to look after you. I'll talk to a friend of mine, I'm sure she'd love to have you."

'I don't have much of a choice, do I?' Hanley thought miserably.

"Look at you, getting depressed as usual. You'll like it at Fuschia Village."

"Sure," she replied softly.

The _Red Dawn_ slowed as it approached the harbor. The top deck became a flurry of movement, with deck hands racing to and fro to ready the mooring ropes and preparing to disembark.

"You definitely will. I have a friend that's around your age. He's a bit younger, but he's a good boy."

'I would rather have my friends.' Hanley whined in her head as she quickly moved to the side so she wouldn't be in the way. Ben expertly steered the ship into port, coming to a stop by an empty dock.

She was surprised to see the greeting the pirates got. Apparently, the villagers loved them. They were met with cheers as they lowered the gangplank.

'Huh, they really are good guys--'

Hanley made her way to the port side so she could finally, _finally_, get on land, but Shanks's shout drew her attention back to the ship.

"Hey, Luffy! What're you up to now??"

Hanley quickly turned and focused her attention on the dragon figurehead. There was a small boy standing on it, a scrawny figure with baggy clothes and shaggy black hair. He held a small dirk in his right hand, and he was waving it angrily, shouting at Shanks.

"I've had it with you guys!! Now you'll have to take me seriously!! This is how tough I am!!"

Hanley blinked and turned to Ishamon who came up behind her to see what the fuss was about.

"Who the hell is that kid?"

Ishamon laughed, "That would be Luffy, lass. A friend of the crew. He's probably upset the Captain tied him up and left him behind so he couldn't get on board."

'That's Luffy? And what kind of friend is Shanks??' Hanley thought, a little alarmed. Weren't there laws against that kind of thing?

Shanks, however, found the whole thing absolutely hilarious. He waved his hand dismissively at the boy.

"Ha ha ha! Get it over with! Whatever it is!" The crew laughed and stopped to watch to see how _this_ encounter would unfold. Even from her position Hanley could see the scowl that was beginning to form on Luffy's face.

"He has a knife! He shouldn't be egging him on!" Hanley cried. She knew from experience how stupid little boys could be.

"It'll be fine. I wonder what thats pup's up to now, though..." Ishamon said thoughtfully.

"I'll show you!" Luffy cried before promptly stabbing himself below the eye.

"You call that fine??" Hanley shrieked at Ishamon as the crew shouted in surprise and Shanks quickly made his way toward the hapless youth.

"ARRRRGH!!! That hurt!!!" Luffy screamed. He was bleeding profusely from the cut, the blood flowing heavily down his neck and staining his shirt.

"You idiot, of course it hurt! What'd you do that for??" Shanks bellowed.

"OOOOOOOW!!!"

Ishamon sighed, "Oh well. I better get my things."

"Luffy hold still--"

"Someone get me a clean rag!!"

Hanley sighed.

'Luffy, huh? What an idiot.'

**********

To be continued. Please review!


	4. Monkey D Luffy

This chapter did not want to get written. And then when I started writing, it really didn't want to stop. I'm already way behind schedule as it is, and my job is killing me. Arg, why must I work to eat??

Anyway, I got some reviews! Awesome! I'd like to thank Spellcaster Hikaru and nothing new in this world for their reviews and support. I'm happy the two of you are enjoying this exercise in madness. I'm especially thankful that you found Hanley's reaction to be realistic. Basically, I just sat down one day and thought to myself, "if I were suddenly and inexplicably transported into another dimension, how would I react..._after_ the freak out and denial?" That was one thing I never quite got—the OCs, largely, really do seem happy to be there. Which is okay but I guess that wears on my suspension of disbelief? Eh, I dunno. I'm sucker for these kind of fics anyway.

Here's the next monster chapter (and I really mean it).

**Warnings:** Slight description of gore, but I don't think it's too awful.

_Hanley_

Chapter Three: Monkey D. Luffy, Future King of the Pirates?

**********

Makino

Makino had lived in Fuschia Village her entire life, as have her parents, their parents, their parents, and so on until the family tree went no further. It was a close, tight-knit community, the sort where everyone knew everyone else's business and the only form of excitement was when the local drunk got a little rowdy on the streets late at night.

Or when Monkey D. Garp happened to come back to town. You could see that man coming from a mile away and he made sure you knew it.

As for Makino herself, she was the only child of wealthy landowners; they specialized in grain production, and the giant windmill that originally gave the village its name was still in operation to this day on the family property. Makino always had a head for business, her father made sure of that much while he was alive, and being the only heir to the main family line had its advantages as well as its expectations. However, she had never gotten the urge to pick up where her father left off, nor to find a husband and settle down, which was unusual considering her age (and looks, she was willing to admit). She could never imagine herself playing that role, preferring to pour all of her time and effort into her tiny little tavern. She had purchased the building from the former proprietor's son when the man passed away, and was quick to move in and put on her personal touch, despite her family's objections.

Her aunt still wasn't speaking to her.

Makino worked her hands raw creating a place where people could meet and talk freely. It was her treasure, so much so that she had never once regretted her decision. Perhaps one day she may want to settle down, but as far as she was concerned, Luffy and Ace were the closest she was going to get to having kids, which sat perfectly well with her.

At least until the pirates came.

They appeared out of nowhere one night, low on supplies and looking as if they were coming straight off the battlefield. The were not well-received, the village having suffered a pirate attack just three months prior. The mayor was all set to send them right back on their way until the captain, a red haired man with scarred face, fell on his knees and begged the villagers to allow his crew to stay for a few days, at the very least.

It surprised her so much she found herself agreeing to open her bar to them before she knew what she was doing.

Makino gave the captain (who had passed out at that point) the single guest room upstairs and transformed the bar into a makeshift hospital with the help of several villagers. The few days turned into a week and a half, and most of that time was spent nursing the captain himself. Once the men were back on their feet, their gratitude was even more surprising. After all, who had heard of pirates being thankful? Not only thankful, but staying on for a year, sharing their wealth and providing protection.

The moment Shanks regained consciousness and spoke to her, Makino began to doubt herself. She vividly remembered that first conversation, and sometimes she felt like a silly little girl for constantly going over every word that was said. Makino had never wanted much in life, but when she watched them have fun and party, she couldn't help but wonder if she really was content staying in Fuschia.

She was one of the first ones in town to hear the shouts from the harbor, signaling that Shanks and his crew have returned from their recent trip. She desperately wanted to go see them, but she wasn't quite finished with opening the bar and it would only be a matter of time before they descended. No doubt they had run out of rum again. Luffy had already run ahead to the docks, and Makino hoped he wouldn't cause any trouble.

Wishful thinking, but hope springs eternal.

She had just finished wiping down the tables and unsealing a keg when the door to her bar burst open, Shanks at the front of the crowd with Luffy on his arm. Makino smiled when she saw him, warm and vibrant as usual, but her attention was quickly drawn to her young charge—specifically, the blood that was staining his shirt.

"Luffy!" she cried in alarm as she rushed up to him. There was a large, ugly gash on his left cheek, just under the eye. It was already stitched closed, but Makino carefully examined his face regardless.

"I'm sorry, Makino. It's my fault he went so far," Shanks said, bowing apologetically before promptly popping Luffy on the head, "although this idiot was being just as stupid."

Luffy grumbled, "Sorry..."

Oh dear, and they had barely gotten into town.

The men were bowing their heads respectfully as they passed by her to the tables, leaving Shanks and Ishamon to handle the situation. She gave Ben a nod when he motioned to the keg that was sitting on the bar where she left it.

"You're alright?" Makino asked when she turned back. Luffy nodded.

"I'm okay, I'm a man! The knife wasn't even that big!"

"_A knife_--??"

"Oh, please..." a young voice muttered from behind Shanks. Makino blinked and leaned to the side to get a better view.

A young girl stared at her before flushing, "Oh, er, you heard that?"

"Hanley..." Ishamon sighed.

"I didn't think she'd hear it! Not with those guys being so loud!"

Shanks laughed and ruffled the girl's hair, earning himself a grumpy look.

"Makino, I'd like for you to meet Amano Hanley. We picked her up a couple of days ago, and, well, I was hoping you would--"

"Picked her up?? How come she could ride on your ship??" Luffy interrupted, indignant.  
Hanley's eyes narrowed and she gave a slight sneer, "I didn't have a choice, idiot. Besides, I wouldn't be so stupid as to stab myself in the face--"

"Hanley," Ishamon repeated, more firmly this time.

"I—alright." The girl huffed and crossed her arms.

"I was hoping," Shanks continued cheerfully, ignoring the minor squabble beside him, "that you would take her in. She doesn't have anywhere else to go, and it's too dangerous for her to sail with us. I know this is short notice, but..." He gave her a sheepish smile, and Makino had a hard task of not instantly agreeing and looking foolish.

She was certain that Luffy was perfectly alright, so she stood and stepped closer. She gave Hanley an encouraging nod.

"Come here so I can look you over, hm?"

Hanley hesitated, but slowly moved forward, giving her the look over as well. She wasn't as tall as Makino, only coming up to her shoulders, and she looked healthy, at least. There weren't many circumstances that would force Shanks to pick up a girl and take her with them, and none of them were very pleasant to think about. Makino's eyes took in the wild black hair and obviously borrowed clothing. Hanley wasn't being outright hostile, but she made it no secret that she didn't want to be there.

Makino smiled brightly at her.

"I know just what you need. Those silly boys don't know a thing about women. Come on, I'll find you some proper clothing and set up a bath." The way Hanley's green eyes lit up at the word "bath" told Makino all she needed to know.

Shanks laughed, "I'll leave it in your capable hands, Makino!"

"Watch Luffy for me," she called back as she led Hanley upstairs.

"Hopefully better than last time," Hanley muttered.

"Yes, well, they have an odd relationship."

Hanley glanced at her before nodding, "Yeah, I saw. Um, it's nice to meet you, Makino-san."

"And it's nice to meet you as well."

She led the girl up the stairs and down a short hallway. There were three doors near the end, two leading to the bedrooms and one heading up to the attic. Makino opened one and gently ushered Hanley inside. The guest room consisted of a small, simple bed with a baby blue comforter and white headboard; a nightstand with lamp; and a white wardrobe tucked into the corner to provide the largest amount of open space. It was very clean and well kept, however, with cream colored walls and a shiny wooden floor.

"I live above the bar, my room is right there," Makino said as she pointed to the opposite door, "It seems that this guest room will be yours—we have our own baths, you'll be happy to hear--"

"Wait, you're really going to take me in?" Hanley asked incredulously.

"Well, yes. As a favor to Shanks, and you do need somewhere to go. Really, I don't mind you staying here. You'll have to borrow some clothes for the time being as I don't have the money to buy a wardrobe right now, but I'm sure some of the villagers wouldn't mind donating some old garments." Makino opened the wardrobe and removed a plain, red shirt and black shorts. She motioned Hanley over and held them up to make sure they would fit. Ace wouldn't mind her using them, and they were the same height anyway. The colors were certainly better than the faded blue and gray Hanley was currently sporting, in any case.

"Are these okay for now?"

"They are, thanks," Hanley murmured, looking embarrassed. Makino only gave her kind smile.

"We'll have you fixed up in no time. Look at what those men put you in. The least they could have done was match the shirt with the pants." She could tell that Hanley was starting to warm up to her, if only due to the fact they were both female. At this point, it was important that Makino build on any common ground that they had, especially, if Hanley was going to be staying on for an indeterminate amount of time.

"Er, I just wanted to know, you have shampoo, right?"

'It's pretty clear why she asked,' Makino thought as looked over the girl's hair, wincing slightly. It looked very dry and clumsily cut—Makino wanted to scratch her own scalp just looking at it.

"I also have some conditioner that works very well, I'll set those out for you too. Let me start the bath."

The bathroom was pretty small, somewhat bigger than a closet, with just enough room for a bathtub, sink, toilet, and medicine cabinet. A single window looked out over the main thoroughfare, but it was much too small to invade anyone's privacy. Makino started in surprise when Hanley rushed past her and nearly collapsed before the tub. She eagerly ran her hands along the edge, practically looking euphoric.

"_Thank you_. It's so beautiful, Makino-san, I can barely believe it! A genuine bathroom! There wasn't anything decent like this on the ship—the one bath they had was communal! Which is fine if you're a guy, but I couldn't bring myself to do anything more than wash up. Bless you and your family, Makino-san!" the girl gushed as she practically hugged the rim of the tub.

Makino laughed and held up her hands before the girl started worshiping her, "I understand, Hanley. I'll show you how to work the tub, okay? Then you're more than welcome to settle in."

Hanley nodded before rubbing her neck awkwardly.

"Makino-san?"  
"Yes?"

"I, well, this is very nice, but...I...hell, about earlier? I was just--"

"Don't worry, I can see you've had a trying time," Makino said as she walked into the guest bath and started running the water. "And Luffy can certainly be a handful, so I understand."

"Still, I shouldn't have said anything. My mouth gets away from me sometimes. Um, is he your son?"

"My goodness, do I look that old?" Makino teased.

Hanley blinked. "No, but he is only, what, five?"  
"Seven. And, well, I'm not his biological mother, but I do feel responsible for him. He also has a brother."

"Really, two of them. You must be pleased," Hanley replied sarcastically before snapping her mouth shut. The girl gave a small grimace as Makino laughed and shook her head.

"He's not like Luffy, don't worry. He's out training right now, actually. He should be returning soon."

"Oh, so he's older?"

"Yes, ten."

"_Ten_? And he's out on some training journey?"

"He is very talented."

"He's the same age I am and he's off meditating in the mountains? I can't believe I've ended up in a place like this," groaned Hanley.

It became silent for a bit as they were waiting for the tub to fill. Makino checked under the sink for a wash basin and extra towels for Hanley to use. She usually didn't bother keeping this bathroom stocked, only bringing in extra materials whenever Luffy or Ace needed them; luckily, she did have the bare necessities. Makino began to make a mental list of things to purchase immediately for Hanley, toothbrush and toothpaste being near the top. Hm, and she should also figure out what to do whenever Luffy needed to spend the night. Judging from the way Hanley glared at Luffy earlier, it wouldn't be a good idea to have them share a room.

Then Hanley spoke once more. "I was wondering, is Shanks your boyfriend?"

Makino turned red and sputtered, suddenly finding the bathtub extremely interesting.

"That certainly came out of nowhere! What makes you say that?"

Hanley shrugged, "I was just wondering. It seemed like there was something."

"Ha ha, no, we aren't, really. We're just very good friends. Shanks needed the help and this is the right thing to do."

"Oh?"  
"Yes. Anyway, he's a pirate, it's not as if he would stay around."

"Mm, I guess so."

"Yes..." Makino quickly turned off the water and handed Hanley the wash basin. "The soap is right there, and I'll be back shortly with the shampoo and conditioner."

"Thanks."

Makino quickly left the bathroom, trying to get her flush under control. Funny girl, thinking that there was something between her and Shanks!

It was so absurd...

**********

Amano Hanley

Hanley wasted no time stripping and punting her clothes into the corner. Perhaps she should be more grateful, but she had been dying, _dying_, to take a proper bath for days. She immediately sat on the low stool and picked up the wash cloth.

She couldn't wait until Makino-san came back with the shampoo and conditioner.

Hanley scrubbed and scrubbed until she was certain every speck of dirt was lifted. She hadn't felt comfortable enough to take a bath on the _Red Dawn_, and the feeling of cleanliness made her spirits lift.

"Hanley? Here's the shampoo," Makino said when she returned. She placed them on the sink, "I'm going to have to go downstairs and manage the bar. Call if you need anything."

"I will, thank you." Makino probably did have to leave. In the short time they were gone, the bar started to become steadily louder as the pirates started to relax and get some alcohol into their system. If she concentrated, she was sure she could hear Shanks yelling at Luffy about something.

Weird relationship indeed.

Hanley wasted no time in picking up the shampoo and dumping it on her hair. She hoped it wouldn't be a lost cause—she knew she already had to cut more of it due to damage alone.

Now that she wasn't on a cramped ship, Hanley had time to sit back and think. The past week felt oddly surreal, almost like she was a moment from waking up, but she just never managed to get there.

Hanley rinsed out her hair a second time and put in the conditioner.

She was here, she was really here and far away from everything she knew and loved—completely and totally cut off. This place had its similarities, but Hanley simply couldn't ignore the _otherness_ that surrounded her, that seemed to pervade the very air she breathed.

'I wonder if this is how Alice felt, she didn't seem to be having any fun either.'

And that's what it came down to. Maybe Natsuhiko could have gleaned some enjoyment out of this, but she certainly couldn't. What was so wonderful about her situation? Thankfully, whatever Ishamon did to her ribs and ankle worked, because the pain was now but a distant memory. It was one less thing to deal with, after all. Hanley looked around, taking in the unfamiliar walls and floors.

The bathroom was smaller for one thing, the tub being half the size of the one at home and not as deep. The floor of the bathroom at home was also tiled instead of wooden. She thought about her room, which wasn't really much but it was just down the hall from her grandparents, and she knew she was welcome whenever she needed them (even if she didn't dare take them up on that as they would probably be doing weird, mushy stuff at the _worst_ time).

'What time is it now? I wonder what they're doing...Grandma should be doing laundry right about now if the sun was out. Grandpa isn't allowed near the washer anymore, so he's probably folding or something. He's better at that than she is. I would be playing, I think, or swimming in practice. My friends would be there, too, but Hitomi-chan would probably be goofing off. She was always incapable of paying attention--'

"I miss them," she whispered, placing a hand on her forehead. She wanted to go to her school again, go to the beach with Eriko-sempai and Hitomi, argue with Natsuhiko, moon over Daisuke-sensei, or, just sit at home with her grandparents, eating and being together like they always were.

'I don't want to be here,' Hanley thought, tears filling her eyes, 'I'm so tired of crying I can barely stand it. How am I supposed to accept never seeing them again? Where do I go from here? What sort of life am I supposed to live, now? I want my grandparents! I want to help Grandpa with his model ships—I even miss Grandma teasing me. I miss everyone!'

Hanley curled into herself until her forehead rested on her knees. The feelings of loneliness and homesickness threatened to overwhelm her.

"I want to go home."

*

Hanley tried her best not to look depressed when she finally came downstairs. It was only a matter of time before Shanks and his crew left as well, leaving her behind and moving on to greater things. What was she going to _do_ here? Ishamon was the first to spot her, and motioned her over to their table.

"Hanley! You look a lot better."

'Damn, how'd I look before?'

"Thanks, Ishamon-sensei," Hanley said, smiling as she slid onto the chair he saved for her. Still, something on her face must have shown, because he gave a small frown and leaned closer.

"Is everything--"

"A toast to, er, Luffy's courage! And for our voyage!!" Yasopp cried, looking a little tipsy as he swung his tankard around. Hanley rolled her eyes. They were only making the situation worse by actively encouraging the kid! He fucking stabbed himself the face, who knows what else he'd pull! Besides, no _sane_ person wanted to be a pirate.

Luffy gave a huge grin, "I'm tough, right?? I wanna become a pirate!!"

...How telling.

Shanks scoffed. "You? A pirate? Luffy, you _do_ know why we call you 'anchor,' don't you?"

"You call the kid, 'anchor'?" Hanley sputtered.

"Can't be helped, Hanley! The boy can't swim a single stroke. He'd probably drown in a kiddy pool--"

"That doesn't matter!" Luffy yelled indignantly, "If I never fall overboard, then it'll be fine! And I'm a strong fighter!"

'He can't swim and he wants to get on a _boat_? Where are his parents?'

He was really trying her patience. Something about Luffy just annoyed her—it wasn't anything that stood out too much. Shanks and his crew could be just as loud as he was on an individual basis, if not more so. Yeah, the boy was stupid, but he was also seven, and certainly not much worse than Natsuhiko.

But Luffy bothered her for some reason. It was probably his obsession with becoming a pirate. Hanley looked him over. Luffy didn't look like much at all. He was probably only thinking about how cool it was. She still wasn't certain, but surely this wasn't what Shanks meant when he was talking about it being a "man's romance."

Luffy didn't know what it meant to be pirate either, but he was still diving in head first. It just seemed silly to her. Where the hell did he get that baseless confidence?

Shanks sighed and scratched his head, "Ah, I guess it's my fault, letting it get this far."

Hanley gave a small frown and waved her hand to get Luffy's attention.

"You can fight, too? Makino-san said your brother was out training."  
Luffy's eyes positively lit up, "Ace? Yeah, he's great! But I'm going to be better than him!"

'Ace? Who the hell names their kid Ace? I guess the same people that can name their son Luffy with a straight face,' Hanley thought in amusement. Then again, her name wasn't something to be happy over, either.

"Are you now?" Ishamon asked, smiling at his exuberance.

"Yup! I've been training, too. My punch is as strong as a pistol!" He stood and threw a sloppy hay-maker. Hanley's eyebrows raised.  
"Oh, really? A toy pistol, maybe."

"Are you doubting me??" Luffy shouted at her.

"What do you know??" Hanley snapped in reply.

"Ha ha, I see Hanley is being mean as usual!" Yasopp said cheerfully as he gave her head a pat.

Hanley pouted a bit, "I'm not _that_ mean. He's being silly."

"Nonsense! Being a pirate is really great! We always have fun, don't we boys?" Yasopp held up his tankard and the crew gave a roar in reply, some even dancing in a line. Hanley couldn't help but snicker at the ridiculous scene. She even saw Makino smiling at them from behind the bar.

Luffy, naturally, looked star struck.

Shanks groaned and gave his men a look, "Look at you. You're giving him all the wrong ideas."

"Is our Captain Shanks actually saying such a thing? You surprise me! Weren't you just waxing poetic about the glory of free will under the Jolly Roger?" Ishamon spoke up, idly wiping his lenses. Shanks winced when Luffy nearly tackled him in glee.

"Did you really say stuff like that?? You really can be cool!!"

"I'm always cool, kid. But you're missing the point, idiot," Shanks sighed and lightly flicked Luffy in the temple, "you're too young."

Luffy grunted, "You let Hanpy ride on your ship."

"_Hanley_, you fool! And they're leaving me behind," she gave Shanks the fiercest glare she could muster, "aren't you, _Shanks_?"

Shanks held up his hands, "Hey now..."

"I see our captain continues to demonstrate his skill in dealing with children," Ben called from the next table over.

"Watch out, Captain, she has plenty of bottles to choose from!" another crewman heckled. Hanley blushed and grumbled.

"Bludgeon someone _once_ and you're branded for life, honestly."

Ishamon chuckled and passed her his plate, "Here, have something to eat."

"Thanks," she muttered and speared the chicken with a fork. She was getting a little hungry. She hadn't eaten since early this morning. Ishamon must have saved it for her.

He would be leaving too, with everyone else. The thought made her more depressed than she figured possible, considering they haven't known each other all that long.

"Come on, Captain. Don't rain on the boy's parade. Why not take him on a single voyage?" asked a lad from the bar. Several other crew members voiced their agreement.

"It wouldn't hurt," Lucky Roux added.

"Hm...okay then. Luffy can go if one of you stays behind," answered Shanks, leaning back in his chair, looking expectantly at them.

"...Well, nice knowing, you Luffy!" Lucky Roux was quick to turn and head back into the fray, despite his girth, his mates nodding in agreement.

"Village life ain't so bad, Luffy. You have dirt roads!"

"And corn! Delicious ears of corn!"

"And cows! Don't forget the cows!"

"You traitors!!" Luffy screamed as they left.

Hanley couldn't help but laugh at him, "Just get used to the idea, Luffy. You're only five."

"I'm _seven_! I can go!"

"When you can't even swim? Don't make me laugh! Well, don't make me laugh _again_."

"I'm strong!"  
"Sure."

"I AM!"

"Hey now, calm down, Luffy. We know you aren't really a kid. Here, have a glass of milk, you'll feel better," Shanks said soothingly as he passed along a full glass. Luffy immediately beamed with happiness.

"Oh, thank you!"

"HA, a real pirate would never drink milk!" Shanks nearly killed himself laughing, easily shrugging off Luffy's ire. Ishamon rolled his eyes and nudged her.

"They're exactly alike, aren't they?"

Hanley blinked, "I don't see it."

"You will. Why do you think they're friends?"

"Because Shanks is weird and enjoys tormenting him?" Hanley replied innocently, giving Shanks another look.

Ben called Luffy over, and Hanley felt a little relieved. She hadn't known them for long, but she knew Ben was very reliable. Deprived of his target for the moment, Shanks headed up to the bar to speak with Makino.

"Shanks? When are you leaving the village?" Hanley called, pushing aside her food for the moment. She never did get a straight answer out of him. Shanks swiveled on the stool and leaned back against the bar, facing her.

"Hm, we've been here for about a year—I guess we'll do two or three more trips before heading off for good."

"Only two or three more?" Luffy asked as he hauled himself up onto the stool beside him. Makino set down a plate of food in front of him and he wasted no time digging in.

"Yeah, we've been here for too long. We'll be heading north after this run."

"Oh," Luffy murmured thoughtfully, nibbling on a piece of meat. Hanley gave a small sigh. She admitted that she was starting to feel sorry for the little guy. She really should try to be nicer to him, if only for Makino-san.

Luffy swallowed and gave Shanks a wide grin, "I'll learn to swim in that time!"

"Oh? If you say so. Who's going to teach you?" Shanks asked, seemingly unconcerned.

'Hm, there's something I can do.'

"I will," Hanley answered, "I'm pretty good. I can teach him in no time."

"Really? You can?" Ishamon asked.

"Yeah! My grandmother said I was a natural, and she used to be a champion swimmer way, way, _way_ back when."

Ishamon looked amused, "That far back, hm?"

"I don't think they even had _pools_," Hanley said, nodding. "Anyway, I can show him how to do a simple stroke at least." She was pretty sure she could, anyway. She had never tried teaching before.

Well, to be honest, she tried once, but Hitomi-chan swore never to subject herself to her tender mercies ever again. It had something to do with her temper. Anyway, Hanley didn't understand the problem. She couldn't remember _not_ knowing how to swim; it was something she truly enjoyed doing, and it came easily to her. This was a good opportunity for her to do something familiar and relaxing, at any rate. All she had to do was teach Luffy the doggy paddle and keep him from drowning, that couldn't be too difficult.

Ishamon seemed happy that she was trying to fit in, at any rate.

"I'm gonna become a pro before Shanks leaves!" Luffy proclaimed. _Hopefully_ it wouldn't be too difficult.

Hanley coughed, "Sure, sure. Glad to see you so stupidly confident."

"Just watch!"

"Oh, I'll be watching, Luffy."

'This should be _good_.' After the week she just had she could use the hilarity. A sudden burning at her collarbone caused her to hiss and pull out her magatama from under her shirt. The damn thing was acting up _again_. Maybe she should seriously consider that something was wrong with it.

No one seemed to notice her actions, as Shanks grinned before turning back around to the bar, "Oi, Makino--"

Whatever he was going to tell her was cut off by the swinging door being kicked open. It slammed loudly against the wall with a crash, nearly coming off its hinges. Hanley jumped up in surprise, only stopping when Ishamon grasped her arm.

"Hold, lass."

"Make way for Higuma, the Scourge of the Mountains!" a deep voice boomed from behind the figure posed in the door way.

'Are you kidding me? There are also _bandits_ here??' She just got over her scare with Krieg, and now it seems she wasn't safe on land, either!

He was clearly the leader of the band, wearing clothes that were of a finer quality and having a large, jeweled necklace around his neck. He was tall with black hair styled loosely into a topknot, and he possessed a carefully trimmed goatee that only added to the sinister image. Higuma all but brandished his sword as he entered the now silent tavern, a sneer on his lips.

"I've never seen pirates before...I have to say I'm not very impressed. Such a sorry lot." He strolled up the bar, shoving Shanks aside and slamming a large, thick hand down on the bar top. Even from her position Hanley could see that his yellowed fingernails were long and filed into claws. Makino jumped back a bit while Luffy nearly choked on the odd looking fruit he was eating.

"Good day," she said, looking pale and wary. The man smiled, but it really didn't do anything for his face.

"We're mountain bandits. Oh, don't look so scared. Sell us ten barrels of grog and we'll only injure the bare minimum."

"Oh, _only_ the bare minimum? How unexpectedly kind from a thug with bad hygiene," Hanley growled under her breath.  
"Now is not the time," Ishamon murmured, briefly tightening his grip.

Hanley glanced around. Shanks's crew didn't so much as shift at the thinly veiled threat. Ishamon gave a soft, derisive snort as his left hand slowly inched toward his belt.

'Is he going to go all shinobi again? Surely these guys are no match for Shanks and his crew. Well, there's nothing to worry about, Shanks will definitely kick Higuma's ass.' Hanley nodded. 'Yes, there was no way Shanks would let anything happen. He'll toss these fools out in no time and we can get back to our business.'

Makino clasped her hands tightly before her and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, we don't have any liquor."

Higuma's eyes narrowed and his nails tapped against the bar-top, "How odd. And what exactly are these pirates drinking? Fruit juice?"

"I-It's true, sir, I just served the last bit of it."

Hanley tensed when Higuma drew himself up angrily. Makino took a small step back, bracing herself for an attack until Shanks held up a hand. Hanley sighed in relief—this was it, Higuma was going to get what he deserved.

"Hold, there. I feel guilty about me and my crew drinking all the grog here, sorry about that," He smiled and held up a bottle, "here, have this one on the house. It's unopened."

Apparently, what the bandit deserved was free alcohol.

"What the hell is he doing?" Hanley hissed. Where was that power from earlier? Why wasn't Shanks _shanking_ him?

"Shush, he'll handle it," Ishamon murmured.

Higuma took the bottle and examined it. Everything was still for a few moments until he smashed the bottle on top of Shanks head. Unlike the incident before, this bottle was full, so Shanks was covered from head to toe in strong smelling alcohol. Luffy, who was on Shanks's other side, had to cover his head to protect himself from the flying glass.

Makino stifled a scream while Shanks's crew only watched silently. Hanley was just trying to make sense of it all. Surely they were going to help out their captain! Why weren't they doing anything? Why was Ben just sitting there, smoking his cigarette? She _knew_ they could fight and fight well! Hanley looked up at Ishamon but he was also immovable.

Shanks, who really should have shown a bit of temper at that point, only sighed.

"What a waste. Look at this mess." Hanley gaped at him.

Higuma snorted and took out a rolled parchment from his belt, "Look at this, pirate. I'm a wanted man worth 8 million berries. I've killed 56 people, mainly pathetic chumps like you."

'Okay, someone can _do_ something now! Anytime, guys, I don't know how many more bottles Shanks can take to the head.' Hanley thought nervously. Ishamon still had a firm grip on her, keeping her mostly out of sight. She had no doubt he was going to toss her under the table the second something happened—if only something would!

"If you were smart, pirate, you'd sail away so I never have to see you again."

Shanks stared at him before bending and beginning to pick up the broken glass.

"I apologize, Makino. I'll clean this up for you, okay? Do you have a rag I can borrow?"

Makino blinked and smiled weakly, "No, it's fine. I can get it..." She picked up a rag from the bar and began to circle around when Higuma whipped out his cutlass and smashed the open bottles and empty plates on the bar-top, sending the dishes and their contents crashing onto the floor.

'I don't believe it...he's really just going to let this guy walk all over him...'

Hanley stood there, stunned, barely aware of when Higuma and his cronies laughing as they left the tavern. Ishamon let go of her shoulder with a sigh, leaning back into his chair. How could Shanks just let that bastard treat him that way? Where was the brave captain that sent Krieg flying into the ocean? Hell, the man had a reputation for being powerful, but he lets some mountain thug do as he pleases in Makino-san's bar??

She was angry; she was very, very angry.

Hanley didn't even know why she was so upset. She barely knew him, but the entire situation just screamed of wrongness. Makino was immediately at Shanks's side, trying to clean him up as best she could.

"Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?" she asked in concern. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and carefully began to brush the glass off his shirt.

"I'm fine," Shanks said as he heaved himself up into a sitting position. He took off his hat and examined it.

Suddenly, the men burst into nearly hysterical laughter; Lucky Roux's was easily the loudest.

"He really got you good, Captain!"

"At least it was a grown man this time!! Ha ha ha!"

Why were they laughing? What was so damned amusing about this? Hanley felt her fists clench and she began to march up to the red-haired man, ready to let him have it. He could have been hurt! Makino-san could have been hurt! Hell, Luffy looked up to him, he really should try better than to--

"You think this is funny??" Luffy screamed. Hanley paused, slowing her march to a more sedate pace as she approached them. He was red faced and breathing heavily, looking as angry as Hanley felt, "He made you look like a weakling!! What sort of man are you?? You're a disgrace to all pirates!!"

"Luffy--" Makino began.

Hanley made her way to Luffy's side, "Makino-san, I hate to admit it, but the kid's right!"

Hanley may not have liked Luffy all that much, but she definitely agreed with him on this point. Both were glaring furiously at Shanks, nearly vibrating from anger.

"Why didn't you stand up for yourself??" Hanley demanded as the man began squeezing excess ale from his shirt.

"My, my, children can be so violent nowadays--"

"You should have kicked his ass!" Luffy interrupted.

"Our captain does know what he's doing, Hanley--" Ishamon began.  
"Oh, really? If he _did_, that awful bear would have had to be carried out of here! Shanks should have--"

"Kicked his ass!"

"Yeah! Basically!"

"Violence isn't always the answer, you two," Shanks began as he began straightening up the mess that was made.

"You're supposed to be a pirate!" Luffy shouted, completely ignoring Shanks's statement. Hanley wasn't in the mood to listen to that tripe, either,

"At least you would have kept some of your pride. You should have broken his legs."

Luffy nodded vehemently, "Yeah!"

"Shattered his kneecaps!"

"Yeah!"  
"Stomped on his neck!"

"Definitely coulda used a stompin'!"

"Go for the groin!"

"Yeah—huh, what?"

Ishamon coughed, "Hanley..."

"I don't care!"

"Maybe you should sit down--"  
"Maybe Shanks should have ripped his junk off."

Luffy was staring at her in horror, but Hanley wouldn't be moved on this point. The pirates glanced at each other before Yasopp came forward.

"Hanley, there's something you don't understand. No man should do violence upon another man's groin." The crew agreed solemnly, their laughter abated in the face of hypothetical violence against one's manhood. Hanley scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Shanks cleared his throat, "Anyway, I just got a bit of grog on me, you two. That's no reason to kill a man."

"Who said anything about killing," Hanley snapped, "I just think that while you were down there on the _floor_, you should have kicked his balls across the room."

"Might as well kill him," Lucky Roux commented.

"No one would miss him and we'd all get a good laugh out of it." And why was Luffy staring at her like that?

"You'll understand when you're older, Luffy, Hanley," Shanks interrupted. What was there to understand? Why not use your strength when you have it? It's not like he's trying to keep up a secret identity—he's a damn pirate!

Shanks smiled at her, "Anyway, compared to the bludgeoning you gave me earlier, that man was nothing."

Hanley reddened as, once again, he managed to charm his way out of her bad side. What kind of trick was that anyway?? The man played dirty, damn it.

Luffy, however, wasn't so charmed, opting to growl and shake his head, "I can't believe this guy."

"Needless killing doesn't make you a man, Luffy," Shanks repeated.

Luffy turned and started walking away, "Leave me alone, I need to find a new role model."

"Luffy, wait," Shanks said as he grabbed the boy's wrist.

And Luffy...kept going.

Hanley stared as the kid's arm grew longer and longer, choking on her breath before finally letting out a scream. She wasn't the only one, the entire bar had devolved into surprised shouts and spit-takes, with Shanks yelling and ordering someone to check the chest sitting on the far end of the bar.

'Why is his arm doing that?? That's not normal!! How the hell—doesn't this place even follow basic physics??'

Clearly it didn't, because Luffy's arm had stretched a good four feet before he realized it and stopped from the shock.

"What's wrong with me??" He screamed in panic. Hanley had to brace herself against a nearby barstool. She wanted to go home, _now_. She didn't care how it happened, but it needed to happen _now_.

"He can't have eaten it!!" a crewman shouted.  
"What are you talking about?" asked Hanley weakly, trying to tear her eyes away from the freak show in front of her.

While Hanley was trying to figure out how the hell Luffy's cells could allow such a travesty, and what god hated her so much as to trap her in this nightmare, Lucky Roux quickly returned with the chest. Unfortunately, it was very empty.

"It's gone! The Gum Gum Fruit we took from the enemy ship!!"

"Fruit? I ate a fruit for dessert," Luffy said, now over his surprise, "it wasn't that good, though."

"W-What's wrong with eating a fruit?" Hanley asked. She vaguely remembered him eating it—it wasn't one she recognized, but it did resemble a small melon and was covered in swirly patterns. It looked pretty good, actually. Ishamon ran his fingers through his hair, a gesture Hanley now recognized as one of exasperation.

"It was an Akuma no Mi, the fruit of the Devil and a treasure of the sea--"

"It means," Shanks interrupted, looking very upset, "that if you eat the Gomu Gomu no Mi your entire body becomes like rubber! And you will never be able to swim for the rest of your life!!"

"_Never_?" Hanley cried.  
"Whaaaaaaat??" shrieked Luffy. Hanley couldn't help but scream again when his lower jaw quite literally fell to his knees. CREEPY. CREEPY. _CREEPY_. This was worse than that damn snail, 10 times—no, 50 times worse! Then she had another thought.

"Why did you even bring that fruit in here??? Who thought it would be a good idea to leave an _unlocked_ chest with a _fruit_ out in the open with no one watching it???"

"...Hey, that's a good point," Yasopp said, nodding.

'I fear for your children. This crew should do everyone a favor and just _don't breed_.'

"What the hell do you mean?? You have to be kidding me--"

"Oh no, now I'll never be able to swim!" Luffy cried. Hanley sighed. Poor guy, he'll just have to reconsider his dreams and--

"Oh well! I'll just be a pirate that never falls overboard!"

'That didn't last long at all.'

*

Despite the rather lively morning, afternoon and evening passed by without incident. After a hearty dinner, the crew began to trickle out to head back to their ship. Hanley was recruited to begin straightening up the tables; she didn't really mind, and, she thought, she should probably get used to doing it. Ishamon broke away from a small group and approached her.

"You'll be staying here tonight, Hanley. You'll be okay?" he asked.  
Hanley nodded as she squeezed out a rag, "I'll be fine. I'm happy to get off the ship."

Ishamon gave a small smile, "We'll miss you as well."

"Yeah, yeah..." she muttered as Ishamon chuckled and nodded.

"Right, have a good night. You know where to find me."  
"Ishamon-sensei?"

"Mmhmm?"  
Hanley found herself blushing a bit, "Thanks for the past week. I appreciate everything you've done for me, and..."

"Don't worry about it. Just _try_ to be good, hm?"

She couldn't have been that bad. "I'll make the effort."

"Good night, Hanley."  
"Night!" She watched him leave the bar and gave a soft sigh. She really would miss those guys. Hanley had never made friends that quickly with anyone before, much less with adults.

Of course, she never traveled between dimensions before either, so maybe she should try to keep it in perspective.

"Are you done, Hanley?" Makino asked as she wiped down various tankards. Luffy was actually being helpful, using his newfound abilities to speed up the cleaning process. He messed up more often than not as he constantly overreached himself, but he cleaned up his spills quickly enough. Hanley couldn't believe he was so calm about becoming a rubber man and never being able to swim for the rest of his life. Being a pirate was a hazard in and of itself, he didn't need extra factors trying to do him in. She wouldn't have taken it nearly as gracefully, she was a little embarrassed to admit. Even though it wouldn't be that bad to able to stretch like that, never being able to swim again was just frightening to think about.

She guessed there was more to Luffy than she thought. Weird.

"Yes, I'm nearly done. I just have to get this last table," Hanley answered.

Makino turned and gave Luffy one of her kind smiles, "Will you be going home or staying with me tonight, Luffy?"

"Can I stay? Ace isn't back yet," Luffy replied as he came back from the kitchen, "not that I'm scared or anything."

"Of course not. You're a very tough pirate-to-be, after all."

"Yup!"

Hanley frowned a bit in confusion, "Where are your parents, Luffy?"

"Oh, I don't have any," he said calmly, as if he were commenting on the weather.

"You don't?"

"Nope. Don't remember them."

Hanley bit her lip and began wiping down her final table. He didn't have any parents either? Then why was he so calm about it? Even though she had grandparents, she was always angry about not having parents.

Yet this five year old kid acted better than she did. Geez!

"Anyway, you were pretty cool, Hanley!" Luffy exclaimed as he climbed into a chair at the table she was cleaning.

Hanley stared, "Um, what?"  
"Earlier! When we were yelling at Shanks!"

"I, uh, was?"

"Did you really beat him up?" he asked excitedly. Hanley coughed and felt her cheeks grow warm from embarrassment.

"I didn't beat him up exactly. It was an accident."

"Would you really rip a guy's thing off?"

Hanley blushed deeper and looked at Makino for help. Of course, Makino was too busy giggling to be of any assistance.

"I guess if I had to, yeah. It's a vulnerable area, you know."  
Luffy nodded, "I never thought of doing it."  
"You should try it! If all else fails, why not?"

"Ha ha, you're funny!"

Hanley blinked and gave a short shrug, "Uh, thanks?"

"You're going to be staying here, right?"

"Yeah."  
"Where're you from?"  
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She couldn't fully believe she was here, either!

"You know you're wearing Ace's clothes?"  
"He'll get over it."

"Guess so!" came the cheerful reply, obviously not that concerned about it. Then again, Luffy didn't strike her as the type to really get concerned over just _anything_.

'This is one hyper kid,' Hanley thought as he bombarded her with questions. Apparently, now that Shanks and his crew were gone she was now something of interest.

"Why does you hair look so funny?"

Hanley grumbled, still sensitive over it, "Shut up, kid."

"How come you're so dark? Did you fall asleep outside? I did that once and got tanned all over."

"What the—no, how the hell should I know?"

"Oh. Can you fight?"

"Ha. No."

"Are you going to become a pirate?" he continued, not noticing that her tone was growing short pretty quickly. Honestly, couldn't Makino get him?

"What, and risk my life? You can have that."

"I was just askin' 'cause I wanted to know if you wanted to join my crew. Ace doesn't want to." Luffy scowled at that.

"I'm not becoming a pirate. It's bad enough I'm stuck here, I'm not about to go actively looking for danger. I haven't gotten that depressed, yet."

"But it's so cool!"

"Maybe. That doesn't mean I _have_ to become one. Shanks and Friends can handle that piracy stuff. They are damn good at it, so good for them."

Luffy frowned, "Those guys? They're not as great as I thought they were."

If Hanley hadn't seen how they handled Krieg, she would have been forced to agree. Just what was Shanks getting at, anyway? She sort of understood what he was saying, but still! If she could fight like he could, no one would speak to her like that, that was for sure. After all, there's nothing wrong in defending yourself.

Instead, for once, she tried to be diplomatic, "Don't be so hard on them, Luffy."

"You were just as mad."

"Yeah, but--"

Makino walked up, removing the bandanna from her head. Hanley's eyes flickered to her dark green hair and promptly decided to just _let it go_.

"Thank you both for the help. It's been a long day, ne? Luffy, why don't you go on up and take a bath first? You'll be sleeping my room tonight."

Luffy made a face at the thought of having to take a bath, but he stomped upstairs anyway. Hanley had to admit she was impressed Makino could get him to go without complaint.

"So, what do you think about Fuschia?" Makino asked. Hanley shrugged.  
"It's alright. It reminds me of my village, actually. It was also on the sea."

"Oh? That's good. If you don't mind me asking, where do you live?"

Hanley tried not to get overcome with homesickness. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, that's alright," Makino paused, then continued, "are you tired? You can go to bed if you want. I have to lock up down here."

"I am a little, so I'll go to bed. Um, I'm sorry to kick Luffy out--"

"You didn't really, he doesn't stay here all the time. He and his brother have their own house. Their grandfather also stops by once in a while to see them."

"What does their grandfather do? He's not on the island?"

"No, he's an officer in the Marines, he can't come that often, so Luffy and Ace are pretty much left to their own devices."

That was pretty sad, actually. Hanley remembered Shanks mentioning the Marines briefly a few days ago. From what she could understand, they must have been some sort of Navy or peace keeping force. Yet Luffy wanted to be a pirate? Well, he's only seven, so really, how serious could it be?

"It's good that they have you, then." And she meant it. In her own way, Makino was pretty great, too. "Good night, Makino-san."

"Sleep well."

Hanley made her way up the narrow flight of stairs to the second floor. She saw Luffy sitting on the bed in Makino's room, stretching his cheeks and ears. Hanley shuddered at the sight. Creepy!

"Uh, good night, Luffy," she said politely.

Luffy blinked and pulled out his lower lip, "Oh, night, Hanley!"

That was mildly revolting. "Urg, Luffy, please don't do that." Luffy only gave her a bright grin, causing her to huff and roll her eyes. She slipped into her new room and shut the door behind her, making the room to fall into darkness. She carefully made her way to the bed and sat down. Hanley switched on the lamp and looked around. Some part of her still hoped that this was all just one crazy, messed up dream; however, Hanley doubted that she would wake up as Alice did.

She slipped under the covers, even in her borrowed clothes, and curled up into a fetal position. A few moments later she heard Makino coming up the stairs and settling Luffy in for bed; Hanley didn't even close her eyes until hours afterward—tired, but unable to really sleep.

*

The first two weeks went by relatively well. Hanley was quick to get into the routine of things. She was used to waking up at the crack of dawn, so Makino set her to help with opening the tavern and dispensing tea and coffee for the early risers—typically merchants and fishermen. One of them would then wake Luffy up, usually Makino but Hanley had been known to toss the kid out of bed from time to time, and send him to the market to buy whatever was needed that morning. By eight, Makino had breakfast well under way, leaving Hanley to pick up the slack by busing tables and keeping the bar spotless. This would last until the evening, when the men would start trickling in as they got off work. Dinner and alcohol would be served until closing, where the three of them would wipe everything down and close up. Fortunately, it never got too busy as it was a pretty small village, but the work was still exhausting. Hanley had no idea how Makino managed to do it all and still be happy about running the place at the end of the day.

And keeping Luffy out of trouble was a full time job in and of itself.

Shanks and his crew only dropped by one more time, which meant Hanley didn't see Ishamon nearly as much as she would have liked. They were keeping to the schedule, going for two more short trips before leaving permanently. Hanley wished she could find some way to repay them, but nothing ever really came to mind. She couldn't let Ishamon-sensei go without something worthwhile—not that she had anything of worth here. All of her clothes and belongings were second-hand.

What really surprised Hanley was the general lack of children in the village. Luffy and Ace (and now her) were really the only ones below the age of 20. She had been hoping to befriend another girl here, if only to give her a break from Luffy's boundless energy and enthusiasm, but there was no such luck. It seems that many younger families have left Fuschia Village for the bigger towns on the island; after all, there really wasn't much here BUT fishing and Makino's family's grain exports.

The morning of Hanley's third week in Fuschia started like any other. It was half past nine, which meant the breakfast rush had pretty much ended, leaving Party's Bar empty until lunchtime. Hanley was lounging at the bar, idly drawing shapes around her magatama with the condensation dripping from her glass. She didn't even glance up when Luffy burst in with fish from the fishmonger. It had really gotten to the point where she could easily tune him out despite his noisiness.

"Oh, just in time! Here, have some juice," Makino said brightly. Luffy whooped and extended his legs so he could sit on the stool. He spent everyday practicing his new abilities, and Hanley had to admit he was getting very good.

And it was actually marginally less creepy the more she got used to it.

"Shanks and his crew have been gone for quite a while," Makino said as she came back from the kitchen, "do you miss them, you two?"

"After they got showed up by those mountain bandits? I don't miss them at all." Luffy grumbled in irritation.

"I can't believe you're still pissed at them," Hanley sighed and pushed her glass away. She pushed her magatama around in the standing water for a bit. She was so bored!

"They're an insult to men, Hanley. You and Makino wouldn't understand."

"_Oh, whatever._"

"I think you're really misjudging Shanks, Luffy. Maybe it takes more courage not to fight when it's unnecessary," Makino said. Hanley nodded thoughtfully. She could see where Makino-san was coming from. Sometimes it was better to take the moral high ground when trying to make a point.

"Bleh, a real man has to stand up for himself no matter what!" Of course, hitting people could also be just plain fun.

Makino laughed, "Then I guess I don't understand."

"That's right you don't."

"Maybe when Luffy actually becomes a man, he can explain it better," Hanley remarked, nudging him.

"Oi!" came the indignant cry.

"On another note, this has been bothering me for a while. Luffy, don't you have a brother?"  
Luffy laughed, "Idiot, I already told you I did! Did you forget?"

Hanley calmly smacked him.

"You're the idiot! It's been weeks! Shouldn't we be sending out search parties??"

Makino gave a sheepish smile, "Actually, this isn't really uncommon."

"Yeah, Ace sometimes gets sidetracked and really into his training," Luffy added. Hanley sighed.

"Figures."

"'Sides, he'll get angry if he finds out that I got all worried about him and started to look for him. I went out by myself into the woods once; he got really angry then."

"Um, I think that's more because his brother went into a dangerous place unsupervised than the fact that you worried about him."

"Oh, really?" Luffy said, not looking concerned at all. She seriously wondered about him sometimes.

Was it a mental condition?

Hanley could only shake her head and change the subject before he made her mind melt.

"What took so long this morning?"

"Bleh, the Mayor was giving me a hard time," answered Luffy, draining his glass.

"You should try being more respectful, Luffy," Makino admonished gently.

Hanley gave a soft snort, "Who can respect a man called _Woop Slap_?"

"Now Hanley--"

Whatever Makino was going to say was cut off by the swinging door slamming against the wall. The noise sent Hanley stumbling off her stool, and she cursed when a familiar voice filled the bar.  
"Make way for the Terror of the Highlands!"

"You have to be kidding me," Hanley muttered, straightening when Higuma and entered the bar. He looked exactly the same as last time, right down to the clothes he wore. His black eyes glanced around the tavern briefly before settling on them. He smirked.

"I see the pirates aren't here anymore. No wonder it smells better," Higuma observed as he sauntered in and sat heavily in a chair. He immediately leaned back and placed his boots on the top, leaving bits of dirt on the formerly clean surface. Hanley felt herself seethe—she spent a good hour cleaning up the bar! It was amazing he could get through the doorway with a head _that_ large. Once seated, his men quickly followed suit.

She wanted to punch them all.

Higuma snapped his fingers and sneered, "Well, what are you waiting for?? Serve us!!"

Hanley jumped and looked at Makino. Makino gave a short nod before taking a tray out from under the bar and quickly filling it with tankards of grog. She moved smoothly, as if these were the usual merchants and fishermen they had for customers instead of murderous thugs. It really was enviable, as Hanley could barely keep her stomach from revolting as the bandits became increasingly raucous.

"It's alright, I'll help serve," Makino murmured soothingly as she set up another tray, "I'll handle the leader."

"Okay," Hanley said as she quickly stuffed her magatama in her pocket. She took a tray and balanced it on one hand.

"Luffy, please stay where you are."

Luffy didn't answer, instead choosing to glare at Higuma. Hanley ignored him and quickly made her way to the first table. She saw Makino head straight for Higuma out of the corner of her eye. So far, the men seemed willing to behave. If she and Makino-san acted calmly and served them promptly, they should be able to get through this without any trouble. Hanley kept her eyes lowered as she set the tankards on the table. Luckily, it seemed she was too young for their tastes, and Makino looked capable of handling their catcalls, although the way her ears were reddening was really telling. But, she remained professional and was already heading to the bar for another round of alcohol. Good, soon this will all be over--

"Oi!! You bastard!!"

'_Why, Luffy??? WHY?'_

The mountain bandits faced Luffy almost simultaneously. Higuma, of course, was less than impressed as he sneered at Luffy in contempt.

"What did you say, _boy_?"

Makino quickly placed herself between them, "I'm sorry, he's just a child. He doesn't mean--"

"Damn straight I mean it!" Luffy objected stubbornly, moving around her.

'Luffy you idiot you're going to get us killed!!' Hanley thought frantically.

Higuma burst into laughter, "Go back to your mother, boy."

"You take back what you said!" Luffy shouted. Hanley gave a soft groan of frustration. Didn't he realize what he was doing?? Why was he risking his life over it??

Hanley had to stop the idiot before he went too far, "Luffy, you heard Shanks! He really didn't care about getting dowsed with alcohol! Don't--"

"You apologize right now!" Luffy interrupted, obviously not listening to her.

"Shanks? Oh, I think I get it...you were there before. And if I _don't_ take back what I said about that filthy, cowardly pirate?"

Luffy held up his fists, "I'll kick your ass! Let's go, right now!"

The challenge sent Higuma and his men into near hysterics. Hanley allowed herself to relax just a bit. Thankfully, they weren't going to take him seriously. Still, she had to find some way to get Luffy to shut up and _stop_.

Luffy's scowl deepened, "You're just jealous because he's a great man of the sea."

Higuma scoffed, "Sure, brat."

"You're just some stinky, no good bandit! You were lucky Shanks didn't think you were worth his time, you stupid bear!"

Higuma fell silent at that. Makino and Hanley could only stare in horror.

Higuma stood and slowly walked over to Luffy, looming threateningly over the boy. Hanley let out a squeak. He was so dead!

"Care to repeat that, _boy_?"

Luffy stuck out his tongue, "You won't fight me because you're too scared! Who's afraid of some stupid mountain _monkeys_ anyway??"

'This can't be happening. This can not be happening.'

Higuma snarled and grabbed Luffy by his shirt.

"I think someone should teach you some manners."

"Go to hell--" Higuma backhanded him with such force that his neck stretched and snapped abruptly back into place.

"D-Did you see that, Higuma-sama?" asked one of the men in surprise. Higuma smiled nastily.

"Indeed. We can have some fun with this."

Makino had had enough. She rushed forward and grabbed the bandit's arm in an attempt to stop him.

"Please, wait! He's just a child, you can't--"

Higuma snarled and shoved her away. She crashed to the ground with a cry.

"Get off, woman! I'll deal with you soon enough!"

"I'll kick your ass for doing that!" Luffy screamed.

"Makino-san!" Hanley cried as she rushed to her side, helping her up into a sitting position. Makino looked unhurt, only upset.

Furious, Hanley gave the bandits a nasty glare, "What did you do that for, you asshole! Let him go right now or--"

"Or you'll what, little girl?" Higuma asked mockingly. Hanley growled, curses on the tip of her tongue. But her glower was only met by amusement and scorn. They had nothing to fear from her and they knew it. Higuma carried Luffy outside by the shirt, easily ignoring the boy's kicking and swearing. Makino screamed when Luffy was thrown violently to the ground. Her bandanna had been knocked off, but she didn't care to pick it up as she stood as quickly as she could.

"We have to do something! I'll go get the mayor! Hanley, stay here, okay?" Makino ordered as she raced out the back to the Mayor's residence.

Hanley quickly went to the doorway and peered out into the street. The bandits were taking turns kicking and stomping on Luffy, steadily moving him further away from Party's Bar.

'Oh shit, oh shit, I don't want to stay here but Luffy will get killed and what can I do against those guys??' thought Hanley as she practically danced on the spot. Arg, this was so bad! After several tense seconds, Hanley decided to ignore Makino's orders and slipped out of the tavern. They would be able to see her coming if she came straight down the main road, so she entered a side alley and circled around.

Hanley hid in the alley between the a house and general store, wondering what the hell she should do. The residents of the village started to gather around on the fringes, looking on helplessly. Luffy was now held hostage by that awful bear, and they were helpless to stop it.

'I—I have to do something! But they're huge and they have swords and I don't know the first thing about fighting! But if I don't do something Luffy could be killed!'

So far, thank goodness, Luffy's rubber body prevented him from taking any damage from the constant beatings he was receiving, but it would only be a matter of time before they got bored and took their swords to him. This was even worse than what happened back on the _Dawn_! At least there Shanks and his men were more than enough for the bad guys. This was different; here, the mountain bandits pretty much had free reign and the villagers couldn't do anything.

"You've got a strange body, boy, our punches and kicks aren't doing anything to you," Higuma commented as he held Luffy by the scruff of his neck. He roughly tugged on Luffy's cheek, laughing when it stretched to comical proportions. Luffy was screaming at him, covered in dirt and sweat. It was a wonder he could catch his breath from the way he was struggling.

"There are some strange creatures in the world, eh, Rubber Boy?" Higuma used Luffy's cheek to fling him to the ground. Hanley winced as he bounced and came to a halt on the dirt road, filthy and roughed up.

"Take that back, dammit! I'll make you sorry for this!!" Luffy shouted angrily, glaring as Higuma stepped closer, away from his men.

'Even though he's in such a situation, he's still shouting at someone who could easily kill him! I don't get this kid, is he brave or stupid?' Hanley thought. He was surely a strange combination of both. But she didn't want him to die. He was loud and annoying and stupid but damn it she cared for the kid. Somehow he'd gotten to her with that odd charm of his and it left Hanley floundering. She didn't want him to die, but she wasn't quite brave enough to stand up for him either. It was easily the most frustrating emotion she had ever felt. She managed to get this far, but now what? She didn't eat some special magical fruit, she didn't know how to punch or kick or do much of anything. Useless. This place just made her feel _useless_.

Hanley looked away, her conscience screaming at her for her cowardice, but something on the ground made her pause. She bent and picked it up.

It was an empty sake bottle. Maybe she should adopt it as her weapon of choice.

'Can I do it? But as Shanks said, when all else fails...'

Higuma had his back to her, and was standing alone for the time being. It was now or never—who knows when another opportunity would present itself? Before Hanley could talk herself out of it (and to be honest she probably would have given the chance), she gripped the bottle by the stem and reached back. The bottle was a little too heavy for her wrist to support comfortably, so she had to do this weird hop-skip combination to give her the proper momentum and threw it as hard as she could. The bottle flew end over end through the air, over Higuma's henchmen and straight for their leader. It hit the base of his skull with a loud crack.

"Oh, shit, I hit him!" Hanley cried in surprise. Even as she threw it, she was pretty sure she was going to miss, and really was hoping that it would be more of a distraction than a weapon. But the sake bottle was right on target, sending Higuma stumbling forward, swaying a bit from the trauma. Luffy gaped and followed the bottle's trajectory to see her huddled in the alleyway. The bandits were stunned into immobility that someone dared to attack Higuma.

'Oh what the hell is Luffy doing, why isn't he running?? This is our chance to get out of here!'

"Luffy, don't just sit there!" shouted Hanley; she was giving away her position, but it would be pointless if the kid didn't _move_.

So, Luffy did something.

"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" He clenched his right hand into a fist and swung his arm, using his new rubber body to propel his fist right into Higuma's crotch. Higuma crumpled, clutching his groin and falling to his knees in agony. Every man in the vicinity seemed to wince in sympathy—hell, even Hanley winced in sympathy! Luffy laughed and sprinted toward her, bypassing the bandits that were trying frantically to figure out what was going on and what to do.

The moment Luffy was close enough she grabbed his hand and sprinted down the alley, all but dragging him away from the village square.

"I can't believe you did that!" Hanley sputtered. She knew it, he was crazy. The kid was touched in the head!

"Wait, I wanna get those assholes for what they did!"

"Don't be stupid, we got lucky, now we have to hide!"

"But Hanley--!"

"Luffy, are you going to let me go off by myself?" It was really underhanded, but it worked when Luffy blinked and stopped resisting. Any guilt she felt from tricking a seven year old boy could be dealt with later when she wasn't in danger of dying.

Luckily, he was willing to run for now, and she was going to make the most of it. If he had it his way he'd go down fighting. Admirable, but harmful for his life expectancy.

Luffy grinned, "You were so cool, Hanley!"

No, no she wasn't. "Temporary insanity, Luffy! I wasn't thinking!"

"Did you see that?? My punch took down that bastard!! You were right, it really does work!"

"_Please run faster, Luffy_."

They dodged past crates and through alleyways. She couldn't see the bandits, but that didn't mean they weren't pursuing them. What really frustrated her was the lack of places to hide! Fuschia was really too small for that sort of thing. Their best bet would be to make their way back to the main road and head for the pastures and fields.

Soon, she and Luffy came to a stop by the docks. Hanley let go of Luffy's hand and tried to catch her breath.

"Hey, it's Shanks's ship!" Luffy cried out. Indeed, there was the _Red Dawn_, docked and completely empty as far as she could tell. Hanley frowned in confusion and began to make her way toward it.

"That's weird, Shanks and the others should've--"

Something violently struck the back of her head, sending her flying. She must have been knocked out for a moment, because when she next came to she was face down on the ground, head pounding with dirt and blood covering her face. Hanley carefully moved her head so she was facing off to the side. Ahead of her, Luffy was on his back a few meters away. Her eyes watered as she slowly brought a hand to her nose. It was probably broken—it was certainly painful enough. Her vision swam and was dark and spotted around the peripherals, it was difficult to swallow, and the pain was so intense she could barely draw breath, much less cry.

Hanley tried to sit up but her current lack of balance simply would not let her. It took a great amount of effort to even roll around and the taste of her blood was enough to make her feel ill. What just..?

"You dare strike me, you little bitch??" Higuma roared, absolutely furious. He had somehow managed to find them and looked ready to end their lives on the spot. She tried to drag herself backwards, but she couldn't move. He raised his foot to kick her, but Luffy dove between them.

"Only a real coward," Luffy panted, "hits defenseless women!"

Higuma snarled, his face was contorted and red from his rage.

"You disrespectful rodents, how dare you make a fool of me!! I will make you pay for what you've done!"

Hanley gasped for breath, fear keeping her still and immovable. Her face was on fire! They were done for, she should never have stuck her neck out like that! Now she was going to die and never see any of her family or friends again! What was she thinking?? Why did Luffy have to provoke these guys?? Oh shit her face was _throbbing_--

"You leave Hanley alone!" Luffy's shout brought her back into the present. He was still standing between them, arms spread to fend off any attacks. "Hit me all you like, I can take it! But you'll get her over my dead body, you damn mountain ape!"

Hanley stared in shock, not sure whether to be more surprised that he said such a thing or that he seriously meant it. He was really willing to do that? For her? But they haven't even known each other for that long! And while she treated him with more patience than before, she wasn't exactly nice to him. Why was he doing this for her? To risk his life for someone he barely knew? Was he nuts?

"Luffy, I don't understand," she croaked. She knew Luffy and logic didn't really go together, but at least his defense of Shanks made sense. Luffy glanced back at her and smiled widely, practically showing all of his teeth.  
"Hanley's my nakama, ne?"

"Luffy, you..." Hanley began, only to trail off. She didn't know what to say. What could she say in the face of that sincerity?

"So back off, bastard!!" Luffy yelled at a seething Higuma.

Higuma roughly unsheathed his cutlass, "I was going to sell you to some circus and make some money, but it will be far more satisfying to kill you and your nakama." It was clear he was at the end of his tether as he raised his weapon above his head.

"Luffy, get out of the way! I don't want you to--"

"Don't worry, Hanley, we'll be fine." said Luffy, baring his teeth. It wasn't quite a smile, but it couldn't count as a snarl either. He really hadn't given up.

Maybe she shouldn't, either.

Hanley struggled to move as Higuma brought down the sword. Luffy instinctively began to bring his arms up, but a gunshot exploded from behind her and struck Higuma's hand, sending the sword flying. He howled in pain and clutched what was left of his fingers. Luffy gaped before whipping his head around.

"Shanks!!" he cried. Hanley blinked and craned her neck back. There they were, like the calvary in one of her grandfather's favorite westerns. Shanks was slightly at the forefront, his men behind him. She immediately picked out Ishamon-sensei, Ben, and Lucky Roux. Yasopp still held his flintlock in his right hand, the smoke issuing from the barrel signifying that it was recently fired. But what really struck her was their expressions.

Hanley always knew in the back of her head that they could be dangerous, and she witnessed for herself how strong they were. But she never saw them look that way before. It never occurred to her that these fun loving goof balls could be really and truly angry; not only that, but capable of being genuinely _terrifying_. She was suddenly grateful they liked her and weren't looking at her like that.

Makino and the Mayor were standing off to the side, having followed the crew back to the harbor. No doubt they were the ones to tell Shanks what was going on. Hanley nearly broke down into tears at the sight of them. They were saved! They were really saved!

"What's wrong, Luffy? I thought your punch was as powerful as a pistol," Shanks said lightly, ignoring Higuma's pained howling.

Luffy brightened despite the heavy situation and held up a fist, "It was! I really got him in the junk, like Hanley said!"

Shanks's eyebrows rose, but that dangerous aura never lifted an iota.

"Oh hoh? That's good to hear." His eyes flicked over to her and looked her over. She couldn't read the expression, but she had no doubt that it didn't bode well for the now motionless bandits.

Higuma grunted and glared at him. Sweat was pouring down his face and his teeth were clenched from the agony. His left hand was clutching his right, but blood still flowed freely down his hands and onto the ground. Shanks began to walk forward, his hand on his blade.

"What do you guys think you're doing there?" Shanks asked. He stopped when one of the bandits ran forward and held a gun to his temple.

"You cowardly bastard! How dare you shoot--"

Shanks only glanced at him, "You don't want to be doing that. As you just saw, guns are quite dangerous."

"I'll blow your damn head off--"

Lucky Roux calmly came up from behind and shot him in the head.

Hanley barely kept herself from screaming, the pounding sensation from her nose taking a back seat to witnessing a murder.

'Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, I just saw someone get killed, oh shit, he really killed him--!!!'

It wasn't anything like the movies depicted. Bits of gore and skull shattered outward from the bullet exiting the brain. It was so quick the man probably didn't even realize he had died, only slumping to the ground in a heap. It was enough to make her wish for home even more. Why did she have to get sent _here_ of all places?? This was awful!

It was silent for a moment before the man's comrades went into an uproar.

"Now you've gone and done it!!"

"What've you done??"

"That wasn't fair--"

Ben scowled deeper, "Silence! Stop your whining, land-lubbers! Just who do you think we are?"

"We're pirates. Where did you get the notion that we even played by the rules??" Shanks continued, not so much as glancing at the corpse by his feet. The only move he made to even acknowledge the body was step away so he wouldn't get blood on his sandals.

"This was none of your business!" another bandit shouted.

"I disagree," answered Shanks, his voice going dark, "you can do whatever you want to me. Pour drinks and throw food at me, even spit on me, and I won't much care. Hell, I'll even laugh it off. But, good reason or no, _nobody hurts a friend of mine_."

Hanley saw Luffy's jaw grow slack. She certainly knew how he felt. It was just like on the ship, with Krieg, only this time Hanley could definitely say he was giving off something. The pressure weighed her down but it wasn't directed at her at all. It didn't frighten her. It was like concentrated power almost, as if he was effecting the very atmosphere from strength of will alone. It made her light-headed, but that was really it.

The mountain bandits were clearly not so fortunate. They were dead men walking.

"Friend?" Luffy whispered. Hanley glanced at him. He didn't know? Shanks had told her plainly on the ship, but she supposed he never gave Luffy a clear indication of how he felt. The mountain lackeys were silent, staring at Shanks in fear; however, Higuma began to chuckle. It sounded insane, off key and strained. It grew progressively louder until he was practically roaring from amusement.

"Nice speech, pirate!! I was almost intimidated!! Do you really think you can compare to us?? You just float on your stupid little boats all day, don't make me laugh!! Men, kill them all!!!" He pointed wildly with his good hand, still dripping with blood. Hanley tried not to look at the bits of bone and gore sticking out of his right hand. The bandits hesitated, but they quickly rallied and drew their weapons. They charged at Shanks, bellowing battle cries.

Hanley turned away before the first blow landed.

She couldn't watch anymore, she didn't care how weak that made her look. If she ever got back home, she was going to find the man who made this world and punch him in the face. Hanley couldn't wait to break _his_ nose!

"Ben's really strong, Hanley," Luffy said, surprised. It took her a moment to remember that Luffy wouldn't have any idea about the crew's fighting prowess. This was probably an eye-opener for the boy. She couldn't stand looking, but he had no problems ogling. Damn kid.

Hanley could only groan, "I know, I know. Will you help me up?"  
"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry."

"You don't sound sorry," she grumbled as he grabbed her wrist and began to haul her to her feet. She kept her eyes trained to the side so she wouldn't have to see the bodies. Her nose still had an odd, painful, pounding sensation, but it was much better than when she first came to.

"I'm afraid you're going to need a bit more than that," Ben idly remarked as he lit another cigarette.

Higuma took a step back, eyes darting from side to side for an escape route.

'I'm so glad that this is all over!' Hanley thought as she leaned on Luffy. It was pretty awkward due to the difference in height, but the little guy was determined to hold her up.

At least until Higuma threw a smoke bomb onto the ground.

"C'mere, kid!" Higuma growled. Hanley coughed and wheezed, unable to see but certainly able to feel when Higuma grabbed Luffy by the shirt and roughly yanked him out of her grasp.

Luffy began to kick and scream immediately, "Leggo! Damn bastard, just roll over and die!"  
"Luffy!" Hanley managed to grab him by the arm and pulled as hard as she could. She dug her heels into the ground, unwilling to let go as Higuma took him into the fog.

However, Luffy's ability was more of a rubber band effect than a stretching effect—it didn't take too long for Hanley to lose her footing to Higuma's greater strength and be sent rocketing into the air. Now clear of the smoke, she found herself above the water; Hanley's fingers couldn't maintain their grip and she was forced to let go of the arm and crash into the sea.

'Damn it!! He can't escape this way!' Hanley easily oriented her body and floated up to the surface. She desperately looked around to no avail—somehow, Higuma vanished!

"Shit, for a mountain bandit he moves fast on the water!" She had to get Shanks onto the right trail. She turned back to the docks, where the smoke had finally dissipated. Shanks was in a panic, screaming at Lucky Roux.

"Shanks!!" Hanley yelled and waved her arm. The man paused in panicking and looked over.

"There you are, where's Luffy??"

Hanley pointed out to the open ocean, "Higuma took him that way! You have to save him!"

Shanks moved so fast Hanley thought he left an after-image. His hat was tossed into Ben's hands and he took off his black cape. He began to run toward her, kicking off his sandals as he went. Shanks gave a mighty leap off the dock and dove into the water. Hanley gaped as he swam past her in long, powerful strokes.

"Get back to shore! I'll be right back with him, I promise!" he called back as he shot through the water. The swimmer in her briefly admired his technique and power before she shook her head. She started to wonder how in the hell Shanks thought he was going to catch up to Higuma, but then she remembered where she was and lamented that she may never experience normalcy ever _again_.

Still, she better do as he said. Shanks would get Luffy back, she just knew it.

"Are you alright, Hanley??" Ishamon called worriedly. Hanley wanted to smile at him, but her sore nose prevented that, so she waved instead. She was so happy to see him!

"I'm fine, I'll be right there!" Hanley took a deep breath and submerged underwater. She gave a sharp kick to propel herself to him—and she shot forward like a bullet. She panicked and waved her arms wildly to stop, becoming disoriented and turning end over end in the water.

'What the hell was that?? I'm good but I was never that good!' Somehow her foot collided with the concrete wall of the dock and Ishamon tugged her out.

"Whoa there, lass! Looks like you got a mite excited, there," he said as he lifted her. Hanley coughed, still a little confused at what happened, but Ishamon's hand going toward her face immediately distracted her.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow!"

Ishamon paused, "I...didn't touch you."

"It was the thought, okay??"

Ishamon smiled and chuckled at her, easily moving her batting hands aside to examine her face.

"Ah, it doesn't seem to be broken—it's still in the same shape. Can you breathe through it?"

"Y-Yeah, I can now, at least. It hurts to, though."

"Hm, I wonder."

"What?"  
"Oh, nothing," he replied as he picked her up. Hanley's protests died in her throat as he carried her toward Makino. Makino was immediately on her, fussing over her and acting so motherly Hanley was both surprised and touched.

Hanley never thought too much about people here being concerned for her. Her thoughts were always on the people that cared about her back home that she didn't realize she also had them here as well. It was weird, and like earlier with Luffy, she had no idea how she felt about it. It made her feel strange, that was certain.

"Oh, look at you, Hanley. I told you to stay in the bar!" Makino scolded.

Woop Slap was quick to get on her case as well.

"That was a foolish thing to do, Hanley! You should have let the adults handle it!"

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just, Luffy..."

Makino nodded, "Shanks will get him back, just watch, hm?"

"I know. But will it be alright? He just swam out there, surely there was a bit of time to get some kind of boat?"

Yasopp shook his head, "No, too risky. Especially with that thing out there."

"That thing," Hanley asked in confusion. She looked up at Ishamon, "What thing, Ishamon-sensei?"

"A Sea King. That monster's been causing the islands around here quite a bit of trouble."

'There are sea monsters here, too??? Screw punching, if I ever meet that son of a bitch mangaka I'm kneeing him in the groin!!' She wanted to scream and pull her hair out. What else did this place have to torment her with??

They could do nothing but wait for Shanks to return at this point. Everyone waited anxiously, keeping an eye out for their friends. Hanley paced the spot where Shanks dove into the water over and over again. He had to be successful. Luffy wasn't going to drown, it will be alright. This was definitely an eye-opening experience for her as well. She was going to be a better nakama to Luffy when this was all over.

'And how many times have I told myself that I was going to change but I've never gotten around to it? That poor kid will probably go through my patience totally by tomorrow.'

Because there was definitely going to be a tomorrow for Monkey D. Luffy.

"I see them!" One of the crew cried out. He had perched on top of the _Red Dawn_ to get a better vantage point. Hanley perked up and peered out into the horizon. Yes, there! There was that signature bright red hair coming back. She could also make out Luffy's head as well. Thank goodness, they were just fine! No sign of Higuma, but the hell cares for that asshole? Hanley looked back when she heard Makino run up to where she was. The woman was all but beaming.

"I-Ishamon-sensei..." Everyone's head snapped around at the tone of his voice. The lookout was holding his spyglass, but the grip was lose, as if he was one step away from dropping it.

Ishamon snapped, "What is it, boy?? Are there any injuries?"

'Wait, no! Surely it's not bad, Shanks was able to get them all the way back here, it can't be...'

As they drew nearer, Hanley noticed that something was off. It was his stroke. Even with Luffy, Hanley had seen enough of his style when he sped past her to know that it was far more uneven and ungainly than it should have been. The power and grace were gone. Maybe he hurt his arm? Luffy was holding him tightly around the neck, and it was obvious he was extremely upset. Was it the fear from being kidnapped? From what she knew about Luffy, that was doubtful.

Regardless, Ishamon nimbly scaled the mooring rope and leapt onto the _Dawn_, heading to the infirmary. Both she and Makino waited anxiously as Shanks drew closer. Hanley took a deep breath to call out to him, but it soon died in her throat when he hauled them onto the dock.

"His arm," Hanley managed to choke out, feeling her eyes stinging. Just the sight of it left her reeling and in tears. The docks became silent and still as they tried to process what they were seeing. Shanks was absolutely ragged, he was pale faced and heaving for breath as he staggered toward them. His eyes were unfocused as if he wasn't all that aware of his surroundings. He held Luffy tightly in his remaining arm, and Hanley briefly wondered if the boy was able to breathe. The left sleeve was ripped, and Hanley could see the stump where it was cut off.

The moment couldn't have lasted for more than three seconds, but it felt like an eternity. Then the entire crew surged forward, yelling. Makino managed to be quicker than all of them, racing forward and catching Shanks as he began to fall. Hanley was rooted to the spot, only able to watch when Shanks's legs gave out and he nearly flattened Makino as he slumped to the dock.

"Shanks, Shanks!"

"Where's Ishamon??"

"Get a stretcher, hurry!"

Shanks didn't seem to want to let Luffy go, but Ben was finally able to pry him out. He refused aid as he broke away from the crowd and ran off, roughly wiping his face as he went. Hanley hesitated, looking from Luffy's back and the crowd surrounding Shanks before taking off after Luffy. She lost sight of him pretty quickly when he turned down an alley, but she was determined to find him.

How he must have felt! No doubt he blamed himself for Shanks's horrible injury.

She had to talk to him!

**********

Red-Haired Shanks

Shanks had no idea how long he had been out of it. His thoughts were muddled and chaotic and there was quite a large hole in his memory. He barely remembered being carried into town and Ishamon pumping enough pain killers into his system to take out a Sea King. One thing did stand out, however.

Where was Luffy?

Shanks was sure he had him, so where was he? Did he bring him back? He must have! Shanks tried to sit up but he felt uneven and more than a little disoriented. The room looked familiar, but--

"Shanks, please don't move." A small hand pushed gently at his shoulder until he was forced to lay back down. Shanks blinked and turned his head to the side.

"Makino?" His mind finally managed to place the location. This was the second time he found himself laid up in her room, high off drugs.

'It figures that when I do have the opportunity to be in a woman's bed I can't enjoy it,' Shanks thought, morbidly amused.

"I'm so glad you're awake," she said softly, "I—you really scared me, you know."

Shanks gave a weak chuckle and allowed himself to relax.

"I apologize, Makino. Where's Luffy?"

"He's fine. He's just...upset."

"Upset? Why?"

Makino's face fell and she took a deep breath. He was missing something, that much was clear, and Makino looked so dejected that Shanks started to reach toward her. At least, that was the intention. Shanks wanted to touch her, and for a long moment his mind desperately tried to figure out just why his arm wasn't _moving_.

Shanks looked down. Oh, yeah, it got eaten.

The sensation was incredibly strange, as it felt like it should still be there. He could almost sense it moving under the blankets and across the sheets—could Makino feel a ghost hand? Probably not.

"Makino, please don't look at me like that," he said, not wanting to see her upset. But there was nothing for it: his arm got bitten off and he probably looked like shit. No doubt she nursed him yet again. Shanks had to wonder what sort of impression he made on her. Nothing said romance like blood and pus over grandma's linens.

"I was so worried," Makino continued, trying not to cry, "Ishamon-sensei said so much could have gone wrong."

"I imagine. But hey, it'll take more than something like this to get me down."

Makino shook her head, turning so she could wet a cloth. Shanks sighed and ran his remaining hand over his face. He also needed a shave. He didn't think Makino would allow him near a razor just yet, though.

"I want you to stay here," she said suddenly, surprising him. She had never used that tone of voice before, not toward him at any rate.

"Makino--"

"You have to stay," she wasn't looking at him, but her body language was uncharacteristically aggressive, "there's not a lot of room, but I wouldn't mind. Luffy would really like it, I'm sure. That way, you won't get hurt anymore and..."

Shanks looked at her, not sure how to respond. He understood where she was coming from. Piracy wasn't exactly the safest profession, if you could even really classify it as one. He wouldn't be the first pirate to hang up their Jolly Roger due to grievous injuries—and loss of limb definitely fell under grievous.

Shanks had been a pirate for so long he couldn't remember life before he set foot on a ship. Fuschia was nice, and Makino was...

But he couldn't give up the sea. He knew he couldn't and he had a feeling Makino knew as well.

Shanks spoke, "If I were the type, Fuschia would be a good place to settle. I wouldn't mind staying in one place for a long time, I wouldn't mind waking up and tending the bar with you. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing the kids and watching them grow."

"But you're not the type," Makino finished. She placed her hands in her lap. Her face was flushed but dignified.

"No. I couldn't leave the _Dawn_ any more than you could your tavern."

Makino gave a sad smile and nodded.

"Yes, of course. I just—I don't know what came over me. I'm being silly, I know."

"You're not," Shanks said. He paused and slowly held up his right arm, "come here, Makino."

Makino gaped at him and he merely gave her a smile.

"I'm here now, aren't I?"

She blushed and smiled. She slowly moved from her chair to the bed.

"Is this--?"

Shanks laughed, "Come on, I'm alright." She laid across his chest and he put an arm around her shoulders. Her body was warm and her hair was soft and he knew he wasn't doing himself any favors.

Still, this was the best either of them were going to get.

**********

Amano Hanley

"There you are," Hanley said in relief when she entered the room. Luffy had been avoiding everyone for days on end! It was so unlike him she couldn't help but be worried about him. He had retreated to his house, holing up between his bed and the wall. He actually seemed to be deep in thought, which caused her to worry even _more_.

Luffy and thoughts rarely went together in the same sentence.

She crawled over the small bed and plopped herself in front of him. It was a tight fit but she made it.

"Luffy? Shanks is awake now, don't you want to see him? He'll have to leave soon--"

"I couldn't do anything, Hanley," Luffy interrupted, looking upset, "I couldn't protect you and Shanks lost his arm..."

"That's not your fault! That damn bear got what was coming to him, and as for Shanks, well, I know he's not upset."

"He's not. Shanks said that he didn't care about his arm."

Hanley sighed. Then what was the problem?

"You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. We're just kids and Higuma was a grown man. It couldn't be helped." It made it no less traumatizing, of course.

"I can't stay that way, Hanley! I'm going to become strong! I'll become stronger than everyone, just watch!" His face took on a stubborn scowl as he became increasingly worked up.

"Luffy..."  
"I'll definitely protect my nakama! Just watch me!"

Hanley fell silent. When she wasn't looking for him these past couple of days, she spent a lot of time thinking herself. About who she was and where she wanted to go—what she planned to do with her life. Hanley didn't really come up with anything, but she understood Luffy, at least a little bit. It was that notion of becoming more and growing.

If you asked her a week ago, she would have dismissed Luffy's claims as childish boasting. He frequently spoke of becoming an amazing pirate, and it was only talk.

But now, she could definitely believe him. Something about him just made her believe that he'd complete his goals without question.

Hanley smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"Oi, Luffy, I'll be following you closely. I'm counting on you to get tough."

Luffy blinked and gave her a blinding smile.

"Yeah! So you'll join my crew?"

"What—no! I never said that! Besides, what exactly can I do? I'm not going to be a gopher, kid."

Luffy crossed his arms and considered it.

"I want a musician!"

Hanley sputtered, "A what? But I can't play an instrument!"

"Oh, yeah. You can't sing, either."

"...Death awaits you."

Luffy only laughed at her, not at all intimidated. Hanley sighed and shook her head. She'll be ridiculously glad when she gets home and this experience will be _over_.

Whenever that happened.

Luffy never got around to paying Shanks a visit, because that very next morning the pirates were up bright and early getting ready for departure. Hanley couldn't believe Shanks was ready to get up and go even with his injury, but there was no keeping him here.

Hanley sat on a crate and watched as they packed up the _Red Dawn_. Seeing them leave, for good, was very depressing. She still hadn't found a way to repay them. Luffy was talking to Shanks over in the distance, and from her vantage point she could see the man was teasing him again.

She was a little surprised Makino wasn't here, though.

Shanks's laughter drew her attention. Honestly, the man couldn't help himself. Well, Hanley had to admit Luffy made it a fun and easy experience. She snickered and hopped off her crate. She had better say her goodbyes as well.

"There's no way you can become a pirate, Luffy," Shanks remarked as she walked up. Hanley wasn't sure if he was serious or not, but she opened her mouth to defend the kid—ha, imagine—when Luffy's shout interrupted her.

"Oh yes I will!!!" Hanley jumped and stared at him. She wasn't the only one. "One day I'll have a ship and crew better than yours! And we'll have the biggest hoard of treasure in the world! I'm gonna be King of the Pirates!!"

Hanley knew at that moment something just transpired; what it was and how she had no idea. But she had a good feeling about it. Luffy could do it. It would be something she would like to see.

After a moment, Shanks reached up and took off his hat. Tears were pouring down Luffy's face, but he made no move to wipe them away. Hanley was getting teary eyed herself. She saw Ishamon on deck, waving to her. They were leaving, never to return. She'd probably never see them again.

'When I get home, I'll have to follow the manga. That will probably be the only way I can...'

"You're going to become better than us, hm? Then do me a favor and keep this safe for me?" Shanks plopped the straw hat onto Luffy's head. It was too big, covering Luffy's eyes so he couldn't see very well.

Shanks turned and began to head toward the _Dawn_.

"It means a lot to me, Luffy. Promise me you'll give it back to me someday when you become a great pirate. And Hanley? No matter what you decide to do, I'd like it if you paid us a visit as well—I'm sure you'll make it, definitely."

'He wants me to see him too? What does he mean?'

The villagers came up behind them, waving as the pirates hoisted the sail and weighed anchor.

"You wanna see them again, don't you?" Luffy asked as they watched the _Red Dawn_ sail out to sea.

Hanley sighed, "I'm not going to become a pirate, Luffy. I'm not brave like you, you know."

"Even if that means never seeing them again?" He sounded surprised. Hanley bit her lip, groaning internally. Sure, she would love to see them again sometime, to see how they're doing and how far they've gone, but it was too complicated. She also wanted to see her family and friends again, and they were simply more important than anyone she met here.

Right?

"Well, I'm gonna start training!"

"Already, Luffy?"  
"Yeah! Shanks is waiting for me! You should start training too!"

"Urgh, I'll, uh, pass."

"Hanley's so lazy."

"Who are you calling lazy??"

"Hahaha!"

"Death awaits you!"

What was she going to do now?

**********

To be continued.


	5. Master Krut Thai

First and foremost and most importantly, I would like to thank everyone that took their time to review! You guys don't know how happy they make me :D Also, guess who just figured out that they could respond to their reviews (hint: me)? I had no idea there was a special little button you could click on! has gone and gotten all these new fangled features and stuff. Since I only have a couple of people reviewing, it's possible for me to answer any questions or respond that way. If there's something I feel that would benefit everyone at large, I'll go ahead and make an author's note out of it as well. So, Spellcaster Hikaru, nothing new in this world, Wateranddarkness666, and random_reviewee, thank you very much for your kind words.

Now, I'm glad my take on Makino was well received. I have a major soft spot for Makino and Shanks, so I couldn't help but give them a small shout out in the last chapter. I really like Makino's character despite the fact she is rarely seen at all. I'm glad Hanley continues to amuse, even though she probably isn't so pleased about it XD. As for Hanley joining the Straw Hat crew, weeeeeeell...you'll see! Her relationship with Luffy will be a major source of motivation for her actions.

As for Hanley's maturity, well, that's a bit more complex. I'm struggling with how to write children, to be honest. I mean, they're very inexperienced, but that doesn't mean they're stupid. Kids will surprise you with their insight—they've certainly surprised me from time to time. Also, I really don't see her as all that mature. But since I know her in and out, that's probably my fault for not portraying her correctly. She's also in a very special situation. Don't let her potty mouth fool you, she's just copying her grandmother XD.

So without further ado, here is the next chapter. Once again, I hope it lives up to your expectations!

_Hanley_

Chapter Four: The Master of Eagle's Peak, Krut Thai

**********

Portgas D. Ace

Ace gave soft sigh of relief when he finally made his way out of the forest and onto the dirt road that would lead him straight to Fuschia Village. He had been traveling since that morning, and after spending the past month away from civilization, he a little sick of roughing it. His constant wandering usually ended up being very necessary anyway, as the old man was merciless with his training exercises.

Well, more like exercises in sadism, but hey, what didn't kill you.

One of the good things about the island was it had incredibly varied terrain considering its size. It had miles and miles of decent coastlines, rivers, deep forests, plains, mountains—Ace couldn't help but lose himself as he moved from place to place. The only reason he even knew how many days had passed was when he noticed festival decorations being set up in one of the largest towns on the island. The spring festival occurred around the same time every year, so it was a pretty good indication of how long he'd been away from home.

'I really should get better about that. I can't keep leaving Luffy on Makino-san's hands. I know she doesn't mind, but it's not right.'

It was the middle of the night as he made his way toward the coast. If it wasn't for the moon, he'd have a hard time seeing where he was going. The island would never have a settlement that could pass as a city, but some of the towns had grown large enough to provide light even in the early hours of the day. Fuschia Village, however, remained a tiny spot on the coast, but that was one of the reasons why Ace liked it so much. It would be good to see it again.

Ace walked all night down the road, stopping only to rest a bit or to pick rocks out of his boots. They were falling apart, just like the rest of his belongings. He was lucky it was warm—otherwise, the trip back would have been pretty uncomfortable with that gaping hole in his shorts.

"Guess I should have headed home sooner," Ace remarked as he shook his boot. He grinned when the sole began to flap slightly. He hoped the cobbler could fix it. The boots were already old and patched together as it was; although at this point, he'll probably just have to buy a new pair.

By the time he reached the outskirts of the fields and pastures surrounding Fuschia, the sky was beginning to lighten. Ace could see the village proper from the hill he was standing on, and that prompted him to pick up the pace. He couldn't wait to see Luffy again! He'll probably be asleep, but it wouldn't hurt to check up on him. Makino was usually awake by now anyway.

'I better see if he's at our place, first, though,' Ace thought as he cut through a small pasture, 'he'll probably be sore I was gone for so long this time. I'll have to make it up to him. He'll want to go to the festival, so we can do that.' Ace yawned as he walked up to their tiny cottage.

Well, they could go after he got some sleep.

The two lived in an old two story, which was about as far from the square as you could get and still be in the village proper. Neither of them really stayed in it—Ace because of his training and Luffy because of...well, Luffy typically did whatever he wanted. Ace opened the door and looked inside. It didn't look as if Luffy had been here for a while. He set his duffel down by the door and made his way up the stairs. A quick glance around the room showed that Luffy was indeed at Party's Bar right now. Oh well, he could change clothes at least.

Ace walked over to the dresser and pried it open. Looks like he'll have to replace more than just his clothing. Dragon left them plenty of money, but Ace would rather starve than use one berri from that man. Still, if it was for Luffy's sake he'd just have to suck it up as usual. And the old house could really use some repairs.

He spent all of half a minute rooting around when he remembered that what was left of his clothing was in Makino's spare room. No big deal, he'll just head on over and sleep there. Ace just hoped he would make it that far. He had a bad habit of falling asleep at the worst times in the most interesting places.

By the time he made it to Party's Bar, Ace was dragging his feet. It was only by miracle alone that he made it up the stairs and into their usual room. It was dim in the grayish early morning light, but he could make out a lump in the bed. Ace carefully made his way to the wardrobe and opened it. He quickly found his clothes but frowned in confusion at the worn skirts and faded dress he found. Either Makino was trying to tell him something, or he should _really_ consider staying at home with his brother more often. He looked over at the lump as he changed. Dead to the world, not surprising.

"Hey, Luffy, sorry I took so long this time. I found a new place to train," Ace whispered as he headed to the bed. He didn't get a response, but he wasn't looking for one. He was so close to sleeping in a warm bed that his tired mind could almost taste it. He wasted no time in pulling back the covers and slipping in with a sigh. Finally.

Although, something was off about this situation.

His eyes were heavy, yet Ace found himself blinking, perplexed as he looked at the still form beside him. It was...too tall. He didn't notice before as he was exhausted and the person was curled up, but the shape was far too tall to be his brother. Unless Luffy had a growth spurt? That couldn't be right.

Ace laid there for a few moments before carefully pulling back the sheets.

'Oh, that's not Luffy at all.'

Now that he saw the other occupant in the bed Ace had to wonder how he was so out of it to confuse the two. The girl looked to be around his age—at least he was pretty sure it was a girl. He couldn't quite make out her features in the low light. In any case, it was safe to say that he had never seen her before, and he was very confused as to why she was in their bed. Fuschia Village didn't have any children; although, it was possible Makino adopted another kid while he was gone. He'd better find Makino and ask if other arrangements needed to be made. That could wait for later on, however, as he needed to slip out of bed before the girl woke up and find Luffy. Ace's body ached with exhaustion, and his muscles protested against the extra work, but he forced himself to slowly and stealthily slide off the mattress.

'I'm only ten and I'm already moving like an old man. Guess that means I really should take a break.'

He already got one leg free and had nearly managed to get half of his body off the bed when the girl's eyes snapped open and focused on him immediately. She made an odd choking noise in the back of her throat. Okay, this was pretty awkward, but once he explained—

The fist came out of nowhere, and Ace barely managed to lean back to avoid the blow. He forced his tired limbs to move out of her space before she gave him a black eye.

He wasn't able to dodge her kick, though.

Ace grunted and one of his legs got tangled in the sheets, causing him to fall over the side and hit the floor face first. His ribs throbbed slightly from the force of the blow and it wasn't long before she started raining down punches on his head and shoulders. At some point she even began taking the pillow to him.

"H-Hey! Calm down!" he gasped, trying to flip over. But the girl wasn't calming down, she was actually screaming now, and Ace was trying very hard to fend off her blows.

"Ah ah ah ah!!"

"I'm not going to—hey, stop!"

He had a newfound respect for the windmill technique, that was for certain.

Ace finally managed to get his legs under him and stand, blocking her attacks as he did so. He quickly caught her arms and forced them to her sides. Maybe now she'd listen--

The girl promptly kicked him in the shins. Okay, maybe she won't.

"Will you please stop, I'm not going to--"

"Gomu Gomu no Rocket!"

_Oh what now_??

The blur whipped into the room, using the door frame as a pivoting point and came flying in their direction. Ace recognized the shape as his brother (what happened to his arms why were they _stretching_) right before they collided. He wasn't able to let go of the girl fast enough, so he took her right down with him. Now they were all tangled, covered in sheets, and he was _still_ getting hit!

"Ow! Shit! Luffy, you idiot!"

"Take that--!!"

"_That was me you fool!_"

Honestly, all he wanted to do was sleep.

"Luffy! Luffy, it's me!" Ace yelled, becoming desperate when someone's foot somehow shoved itself into his mouth.

"Ace!" Thankfully, that got their attention.

"What is going on here??" Makino cried as she ran into the room. Ace could only lay helplessly on his back as she ripped the sheets off. "Ace! When did you get back?"

Ace slowly and carefully removed Luffy's big toe from his mouth.

"Um, just now, actually."

"_You're_ Ace?" the girl sputtered, sitting up and looking down at him.

"Yup. Who are you?"

And that, essentially, was how Ace and Hanley first met.

**********

Amano Hanley

"It sounds as if you had quite the adventure, Luffy!" Ace said as he scarfed down a breakfast of rice and eggs. Luffy beamed at him, adjusting his hat.

"Yup! I ate a Akuma no Mi! I bet I could beat you, now!"

Ace laughed, "Sure, sure, we'll see about that."

"Hanley, I'm hungry!" Luffy called. Hanley took a moment to give him a fierce glare from the kitchen area. Naturally, it didn't affect him one bit. She didn't even know how he managed to get her to make breakfast for him. She offered to cook for Makino-san as well, but the woman politely refused and set about making breakfast for the rest of them.

"Luffy, you should be more polite," Ace scolded.

"But I like Hanley's bacon the best!"  
Makino smiled, "You're going to make me jealous, Luffy."

"Don't worry, I can eat yours, too!"

"I don't doubt that," Hanley grumbled. Luffy just grinned, and she gave him a grin in return before she remembered she was supposed to be irritated with him.

'Why is it that I always end up doing what he wants anyway? How does he do it? Why can I _never_ stay angry at him?'

Hanley waved him off, "One breakfast of champions coming up, Mr. Fantastic."

"Yahoo!"

Ace blinked, "Mr. Fantastic?"

"It's—just something from home, don't worry about it," Hanley replied, a little embarrassed. She was trying to keep from making the odd reference to her world, but sometimes they just slipped out.

"Oh? And where is home?" Ace asked, curious.  
"Not here, that's obvious," she snapped. Ace merely held up his hands and returned to his breakfast. Hanley regretted snapping at him, but honestly, he had scared her half to death. It wasn't a very good wake up call when she was already having trouble sleeping. This place just frightened her sometimes. Hanley didn't think she'd ever get over the image of that bandit getting shot in the head or the sight of Shanks's arm—what was left of it, at least. They kept her up at nights, which felt stupid, because no else seemed to be having any trouble with it at all. Hanley wondered if people getting shot down was so commonplace that no one felt overly affected by it. It made her exhausted on top of homesick. Waking up to a stranger in her bed had been the icing on the cake.

Well, Ace didn't mean any harm, and it was sweet that Luffy came to rescue even if he made it worse.

"Is it done yet?? I'm so hungry Hanley..." Luffy asked, drawing her name out as if she couldn't tell he was on the verge of "starvation." It was seven thirty in the morning, why Luffy was bouncing around like a hyperactive _monkey_? Where did he get that ridiculous amount of energy? Unnatural, everything about the kid was simply unnatural. Hanley, on the other hand, was moving about as if she swimming in syrup, irritated that the one time she _could_ sleep in was effectively ruined.

Yet here she was, cooking, because she saw his eager grin and knew she was going to fry bacon that morning. Or attempt to, at least. Makino-san usually insisted on handling the cooking, but Hanley managed to get some strips of bacon going one time when Luffy came by begging for food. They didn't look right, nothing like Makino-san's, but Luffy ate them regardless. She'd been making him bacon ever since.

Oh well, considering what's been happening so far, it was the least she could do.

Hanley dumped the bacon and eggs onto a plate and brought it over the table. Luffy wasted no time in shoving the food in his mouth all at once, causing her to make a face at the way his cheeks extended. Ace grinned at his brother's antics before looking at her.

"You've been looking after him, right? You have my thanks. Here, let me introduce myself properly. Portgas D. Ace, nice to meet you." He held out his right hand, waiting for her to reciprocate. Surprised, Hanley hesitated before carefully grabbing it. It was heavily calloused and strong—he certainly looked like he spent a good month traipsing about the wild. Now that she got a proper look at him, she thought she could see a family resemblance. His features were sharper than Luffy's, but they shared the same sort of grin. It was hard to describe.

"Amano Hanley," she answered.

Ace nodded, "Hanley, then. Er, is that my shirt?"

Oh, right, about that.

Hanley reddened, "Makino-san was nice enough to lend it to me. I didn't have much when I got here." She still didn't have much.

"It's fine, I wasn't using it. I'm going to have to take some of my old wardrobe back, though. I ran out of clothes a while ago."

"Because of, er, training, right?"

"Yeah, I go out for long trips from time to time. You know, to stay sharp."

"Um, right. Sharp."

'For what? Death matches?'

Ace certainly seemed to be as talented as Makino-san said he was. Hanley wasn't sure what she expected of him. Despite the fact they were brothers, Luffy actually didn't talk about him all that much. Maybe he just didn't have much to say? In any case, Ace seemed to be very competent and polite. It was enough to give her hope that Luffy would improve; it also made her wonder that if Luffy's eccentric behavior wasn't necessarily genetic, it was possible the kid was just dropped on his head one too many times.

Hanley nervously scratched her head, feeling awkward. Now that she was faced with a kid her own age she wasn't sure what to do. She didn't want to start off on the wrong foot—she'd already tried to beat him up! Ace didn't seem to notice as he went back to eating, saving her from her own awkwardness. Hanley sighed and turned back to the stove to put the dishes in the sink.

She was going to drive herself crazy worrying all the time over stupid stuff. Hanley grabbed the ketchup from the counter.

"Can I get anyone—Ace!"

He was face down in his rice, unmoving. Hanley stared in horror before looking at Makino and Luffy. They were perfectly calm; Makino was drinking her tea and Luffy was even stealing food from Ace's plate, who could have had a stroke and keeled over for all they knew!

Hanley blinked rapidly and took a deep breath. She was making a new policy: if no one else was freaking out then she wasn't going to bother. Instead, she decided to ask questions.

"Um, does this happen a lot?"

Makino looked a little sheepish, "The both of them do it, actually—fall asleep like that, I mean. But it's been a while since Luffy has done it, hm?"

"Huh, done what?" Luffy asked, mouth full from his stolen rice.

"Haha, nothing."

'Makino-san, I envy you,' Hanley thought, not sure if she wanted to go back to the table. She kept staring at Ace, feeling uncomfortable eating with him just...argh, he looked dead!

"Is this alright?"

"It's fine," Makino said assuringly, "he's probably tired from traveling so much. If he doesn't wake up on his own soon, I'll see about putting him to bed."

"Can he breathe? Ugh, I can't even—hold on."

Hanley forced herself to walk over and poked him in the shoulder. Ace didn't budge one bit. Should she even be messing with him?

Luffy, however, had other concerns, "You gonna eat that, Hanley?"

"Keep your hands off my food, moron," Hanley automatically answered while grabbing Ace's shoulder and pulling him upright. His head lolled uselessly to the side, covered in bits of rice and eggs. Luffy whooped and quickly took Ace's plate.

'Your concern is heart-warming, Luffy.' Oh well, as long as it wasn't her breakfast.

"When are we leaving for the festival, Makino-san?" Hanley asked when she sat down.

"We need to leave soon, it doesn't start until this evening but we should get there early while there's space."

"Oh. I guess we'll just toss Ace in the back."

Luffy swallowed his phone and grinned, "The festival's really fun, Hanley! I'm going to win more stuff than Ace this year!"

"Are you sure? He _is_ older, you know."

"Just watch!"

"Okay! Just be sure to win me something," Hanley replied, "Makino-san, will there be bandits there?"

Makino looked at her in sympathy before smiling.

"There won't be, don't worry."

'That doesn't make me feel any safer, considering Shanks and his crew was able to stay here for an entire year.' Hanley shook her head, determined not to think about it too much. It was depressing, she was solving a lot of her problems lately by not thinking about them and hoping they'll go away or turn into something she could handle.

Not that they ever did, and you'd think she'd learn that by now.

Hanley helped clean up the dishes—and Ace, who was still deeply asleep—before going upstairs to pack. They would be staying for three days, half the length of the festival, before coming right back home. Hanley was thrilled to be able to get out of boring Fuschia and have some real fun; however, she wasn't sure she liked the fact that Makino-san was spending money on her. At least here she could earn her keep by working at the Party's Bar, but it worried her that Makino-san was spending her hard earned money on things she didn't need on a kid that wasn't hers.

Luffy and Ace were different, they belonged here.

Sometimes Hanley honestly felt like a leech. She wasn't meant to be here, that was pretty clear, and the fact that she stuck out like a sore thumb in Fuschia only made it worse. Maybe it won't be so bad once they got to—where was it? Eagle's Peak?

"You're always so slow, Hanley," Luffy said as he bounced past her. Hanley rolled her eyes at him.

"He better be glad I can't beat him up."

"Hanley, can you do me a favor and pack some of Ace's clothes as well?" Makino called from downstairs.  
"Sure," Hanley answered as she threw more shirts and pants into the bag, "I guess he's still sleeping."

She tossed the bag over her shoulder and raced downstairs. She could see the cart waiting outside along with the large horse that would be pulling it.

'Wow, a horse! I've never seen on before!'

Makino smiled, "Thank you, Hanley. I had one of the men put Ace in the back. Are we all set?"

"Yeah! Let's go to the festival! I'm gonna eat twice as much this year!" Luffy exclaimed. Hanley had no idea how Ace managed to sleep through that. She let the eager boy climb up on the back first before joining him. There were some mats for them to lay down on during the trip, and Ace was already knocked out in the corner. It looked to be a very good idea—if Luffy would let her.

Makino hopped onto the front seat and took the reins.

"Are we the only ones going?" Hanley asked.

"No, some of the villagers will be coming along later on," she replied as she urged the old horse into motion, "why don't you get some rest? It will be some time until we take a break."

"Festival, festival!"

"I would, if Luffy would _shut up._"

"Haha!"

"Why do you always laugh at me??"

It turned out Luffy would have some mercy on her—he fell asleep half an hour into the trip, snoring away beside his brother. Hanley lay on her back, staring up at the clouds. Now that she had the opportunity, she couldn't get to sleep, of course. It was definitely Luffy's fault, somehow. Hanley yawned and rubbed her eyes.

'I can't wait to get to the festival. Hakube had some nice ones too, for Wadatsumi,' Hanley thought as she wrapped her fingers around her magatama. It was acting pretty good, lately. No more scalding, no more nothing. 'It was weird, anyway. Why would it do that? It could be my imagination, but it was pulling this shit before I even got here. Does that mean there's magical stuff from home, too? I ignored it for a while, but I'm pretty sure it only acts up when I get into trouble.'

Which was silly, right? But after everything she'd been through, Hanley was willing to believe. Her magatama seemed to act like an alarm system, or like that foe spy glass thing in the Harry Potter books. It always burned, not too badly but more than enough to get her attention, whenever someone bad was near. It had happened with Krieg and Higuma, and only became pleasantly warm around Shanks and his crew before going silent. Somehow it could tell the difference despite the fact that, technically, all of them were dangerous men. It was as if it were alive and Hanley had no clue how to deal with it. How could her father have gotten such a thing? What sort of person was he? She wished her grandparents could have told her more; of course, that would mean there would have been more to tell. Maybe they didn't know either?

'Well, it doesn't matter—at this rate I'll—'

"You look deep in thought," Ace spoke up, breaking her from her thoughts. Hanley looked to the side and saw him wide awake and upright. Luffy was still sprawled beside him.

"I, um, yeah," mumbled Hanley.

"Sorry, I'm probably prying."

"It's okay! Um, sleep well?"

"Yeah, I guess I dropped off on you guys. That happens sometimes, my bad," he grinned and leaned back against the side of the cart, "what were you thinking about?"

Hanley frowned thoughtfully, trying to figure out what she should tell him.

"I was thinking about home."

"Home?"

"Yeah, I want to go home."

Ace blinked and scratched his nose. Hanley noticed his freckles and wondered why she never noticed them before. Probably because she was too busy having a heart attack or worrying if he dropped dead in his rice.

"Is it far?"

Hanley snorted, "Very, very far. I don't think I'll ever get back."

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"Oh, is it really?" asked Ace.

'He makes it sound so simple. I guess if I just rowed out to sea one day, _avoid_ the Sea King waiting to devour me, and get caught in a sudden storm, I might get lucky and end up nearly dead in an ocean I'm familiar with. I doubt that, though. I'm too much of a coward to put myself through that, again.'

Hanley glared a bit, "Yes, it is. You don't know what I've been through!"

"Sorry, you're right, I don't really." Silence fell until Hanley gave a sigh.

"No, I'm sorry. This past month has been awful. I can't sleep, I'm scared all the time..."

'I'm so sick of being scared and worried. I wish I were more like Luffy—he's always so sure of himself. And that's sad because he's seven.'

Ace had nothing to say to that, it seemed, and while Makino threw concerned looks over her shoulder she didn't say anything, either.

'I hope I can forget at the festival.'

*

They arrived early in the afternoon and quickly stabled the horse and reserved a room. They would have to share, but it would be alright. Makino gave them some pocket change and sent them off. While the festival hadn't officially begun yet, the townspeople were starting to get the party underway. Games were already set up, and Hanley could see various workmen set up barrels of many sizes on the side of the streets. Ace was happy to explain it to her.

"No one really remembers exactly when the spring festival began, but everyone does know that it was to an old island god. It was a sky god, both eagle and man. It's why the festival is held here every year below Eagle's Peak."

Hanley could certainly see why they called it Eagle's Peak. Of the cluster of mountains on the island, the tallest one was shaped like a bird in mid flight. The prominent beak was pointed upward into the sky. The town itself was located at the base of the mountain and was the second largest settlement on the island. It was cooler up here because it was much higher up than Fuschia which lay on the coast, but it wasn't really unpleasant at all.

Ace continued, "The island god is a protector, and so we have this festival to honor him. Of course, nowadays everyone's just interested in having a good time. It's non stop partying! We eat, play games, and on the third day we throw colored powder and water. The point is to get as messy as possible. Luffy's pretty good at that, aren't you?"

"Yup!" Ace promptly grabbed his shirt to keep him from running off.

"So you smear yourself with colored powder and run around like crazy people?" Hanley asked, bemused.

"Well, not crazy people. You should loosen up, Hanley."

"Hanley can't, she's too lazy," Luffy added helpfully.

"That has nothing to do with it! And stop calling me lazy!"

Ace laughed at them, "It really is a fun festival. Don't worry so much about bandits and just have a good time. It really gets good when they light the bonfire at dusk."

"Oh? Why do they do that?"

"It's supposed to mean something, but I never cared too much to find out."

"O-Oh..."

Luffy grabbed their hands, "Come on! I'm gonna start winning stuff now!"

"Hey, don't rush. Just be sure to get me something, okay? You did promise," Hanley reminded him.

"Oh, yeah! And we gotta eat, too."

"We just ate, Luffy!"

Ace looked a little sheepish, "I'm getting a little hungry myself."

'Is it a boy thing? Or is it just them?'

"We can do both, there are plenty of stalls here," she said, giving up on prying her hand out of Luffy's. The kid was being stubborn as usual.

"Let's do that first, Ace," Luffy said as he dragged them toward a game stall. He finally let go of her hand to take the next spot in line.

"Alright, alright. Do you want to try, Hanley?"

She shook her head, "I'll just watch, thanks." She was going to have to use her money carefully, after all.

"See? She's so lazy--"  
"Death awaits you, brat."

While the boys went to play at the stall, Hanley decided to go ahead and get them something to eat. She was confident that Ace would be responsible, but Hanley just knew that the second they took their eyes off him Luffy would eat far more than any of them could afford. She just knew it. Better to bring something back rather than risk it.

Hanley stopped by a _takoyaki_ stand and ordered three servings, making sure to keep the two in sight so she wouldn't get lost. That'd be the last thing she needed. Once she paid and collected her order, Hanley carefully began to back up from the stand; however, she paused when her magatama came to life, gently growing warm against her collarbone. Hanley froze in the middle of moving out of the way.

'It did it again! But it didn't grow hot, so--' Hanley turned to locate the source of the warning, practically running headfirst into someone in her haste.

'Argh, of course, why not?' Thankfully she didn't drop anything, and after securing their food she looked up to apologize.

And came face to thigh with the largest man she had ever seen. He was unbelievably tall, with birdlike features that included narrow, deep red eyes and a prominent beak-like nose. The man was heavily tanned and silver-haired; it looked as if it had been days since he last shaved. He was, Hanley thought, probably the oddest looking person she had ever seen, and lately she's seen quite a lot. He was even dressed differently than the other villagers, wearing red, loose fitting trousers and white, high collared shirt under a saffron robe. The robe reached his knees and wrapped around his stomach and left shoulder. Hanley gaped at him, her mouth slack and she couldn't help but wonder if the man's shirt sleeves were short due to his ridiculously ripped biceps. She thought _Krieg_ was large, but this man was just a giant.

He didn't look angry, just incredibly intense—and that was possibly be even worse.

"Oh, Master Thai!" the street vendor exclaimed cheerfully, "I see you've decided to join us for the festival this year!"

Master Thai gave a grunt, still staring at her face. He seemed to be trying to figure something out, but hell if Hanley knew what that was. She gulped slightly, nervous and unsure why he was examining her so closely.

"What is your name, girl?" Master Thai asked, his eyes boring into hers. Hanley didn't know why he bothered asking, he could probably read minds.

'His voice is as deep as Darth Vader's.'

"H-H-Hanley, sir!" she squeaked.

Master Thai hummed, "Hanley." He gave a soft sneer and finally turned away from her. Hanley took a deep breath, relieved and confused. What was that look? She never did anything to him! He must have been upset that she touched his robes or something. Hanley slowly moved to the side—can't make any sudden movements she might startle him—and slowly made her way back to Ace and Luffy. Ace saw her approach first and gave a short wave before he looked behind her.

"Oh, that's Master Krut Thai. Uh, did you do something to him? He's staring at you."

Hanley whimpered, "Please don't say that. I thought he was going to eat me." Now she could _feel_ his eyes on her back. No doubt it was seconds away from stabbing her through the heart. He was surely able to do that—_kill with his gaze_.

"Haha, he wouldn't. He doesn't speak much, but he's a well respected man on the island."

Luffy paused in throwing a ball, "Whoo! Hanley bought takoyaki! Are they mine?"

"No! Learn to share, Luffy! You can have _one_," Hanley ordered, ignoring his pouting. She handed Ace his boat of fried goodness as well, "what do you mean well respected?" Now that she thought about it, the vendor did know who he was and looked happy to see him despite the Master's personality.

"He's a very strong warrior. There haven't been any bandit or pirate attacks on Eagle's Peak since he's been here."

"What about the rest of the island?"

"I dunno, he doesn't seem to care much."

Hanley thought of Higuma and his underlings. That much was obvious. If he cared enough to keep Eagle's Peak safe, why not the rest of the island? It wasn't _that_ big.

"I guess it's because he lives on the Peak itself," Ace continued after swallowing, "there're also rumors, you know."

"What rumors?" asked Hanley. Her gaze followed him as he walked down the street. The crowds parted before him, but that was inevitable.

"Treasure," Ace answered, grinning. That certainly got Luffy's attention.

"D'you think he'll let us--"  
"No, don't even think about it." Luffy made a face but quickly went back to inhaling his snack.

Hanley scratched her chin thoughtfully, "Treasure, huh?"

Well, she was just glad he wasn't staring at her anymore. Creepy, but mostly scary. She had no idea what she did to offend him.

"Look, Hanley! I got you a squid!"

Hanley blanched at the sheer number of prizes the two won. Ace's pile was larger than Luffy's, though.

"Oh, thanks!" the stuffed squid was pretty cute, "what else are you going to do?"  
"Luffy wants to play more games to make it more 'fair,'" Ace said in amusement.

"I went easy on him," Luffy proclaimed shamelessly, gathering up his spoils and making his way to the next stall.

Hanley looked at Ace, "Did he?"

"No, but that's Luffy."

"Yeah. Um, you know he wants to be the Pirate King?"

"He told me, yeah," Ace answered as he picked up his loot, "we'll see about that, though. I don't much care about becoming Pirate King."

"Do you want to be a pirate?"  
"Well, it's not that simple. I'm going to be leaving the island when I'm old enough, though. It's not really about being a pirate, it's about living free, you know?"

Not really, but she was willing to listen. All she cared about was getting out of here.

...Well, that wasn't really true anymore. She really liked Makino-san and Luffy, and Ishamon-sensei and Shanks. She was starting to like Ace as well. Hanley guessed it would be sort of cool to sail around and have adventures.

"Luffy and I aren't meant to stay in Fuschia or lead quiet, lawful lives. I don't know how the two of us will end up, but as long as we get there without regrets, well, that's fine with me."

"I think he's going to become Pirate King," she said firmly.

"Maybe. I just hope he's fine with whatever he ends up doing. And what will you do, Hanley?"

Hanley sighed, "It's more what _can_ I do? You've probably noticed I'm not much of a fighter, Ace."

Ace's eyebrows raised and he looked her over.

"Definitely not."

'Thank you, Ace. I know I said it, but did you have to agree like that? Geez!'

"What you need is a teacher," he explained once he saw her expression, "some people just need a bit more, er, work."

Hanley scowled, "So you don't need one?"

"Oh, I'm being trained. It's just that that man's methods wouldn't be that good for you or your health, I don't think. You'll need more structure." Ace relaxed when he saw her anger fade.

"I guess so?"

"I know I'm probably overstepping here—you don't really know me and I don't really know you. But you do seem to want to go home, right? It's no good that you don't feel safe here, even in Fuschia. If it were up to me, I'd just make myself stronger."

"Stronger?"

"Stronger. How else will you be able to leave the island? You can't get home just sitting here, after all."

"Ace..." Hanley bit her lip and her grip tightened on her squid.

That guy was absolutely right.

"You're really mature, Ace," she noted as they caught up with an impatient Luffy.

"Am I? I guess. Haha, with a family like mine someone has to be."

Hanley looked at Luffy, who was busy picking his nose. Yeah, she could see it.

"What about your grandfather? Makino-san said you had one."

"That old man? He's even worse. At least Luffy has his age as an excuse."

"Oh, well." That was just too frightening to think about.

They stayed close to the hotel for the rest of the afternoon until the sun began to set. Makino found them and helped them carry their things back to the room before they traveled to the pavilion just outside the town proper. They were just getting settled as one man wearing a lion's head lit the wooden pyre while others in costume danced around it. Hanley watched the ceremony, not really paying much attention to it. She was too busy thinking about Ace's words from earlier. Maybe it was as easy as he made it out to be. Maybe she was the problem—over thinking the issue, letting her fear get the best of her. She wanted to go home, so it made sense that she had better start working toward it. What could be more clear than that?

But still!

"Are you alright, Hanley?" asked Makino, leaning forward. Hanley shook her head.

"I'm just thinking about dreams."

"Dreams? Is there something you want to do?"

Luffy perked up a bit, "Joining my crew, right?"

"No," Hanley sighed, "nothing like becoming Pirate King or living a life without regret. Just simple stuff."

"Hanley's la--"

"Quiet. I—I wanted to travel the world, go to famous cities like London and Paris. I wanted to study in America. I wanted to go to Hollywood and buy my grandfather lots of stupid souvenirs. He loves Western movies even more than I do! It would have been a lot of fun finding Clint Eastwood stuff for him. Hell, I wanted to get married!"

Luffy tilted his head, "Married? What's that?" Of course that would be the one he focused on.

"It's hard to explain, Luffy. It's just I can't do any of that here, that's all," it made her far more upset than she let on, "I was just thinking, I'm sorry."

Makino placed a comforting hand on her head.

"Don't worry about it," Hanley whispered. She forced herself to pick her head up and get a hold of herself. Even as she spoke she felt angry with herself. She was through whining. She was through reacting instead of acting. Hanley rubbed her face and looked up. Her eyes immediately picked out Master Krut Thai's large form perched on a small outcropping of rock, watching the dancing below. In the shadows and firelight, he resembled a massive bird of prey.

Her magatama grew warm.

By the time the ceremony was over and they were heading back to their hotel room, Hanley had her mind made up. She felt charged, nearly overflowing with energy. For the first time since she landed in this place she had a plan, a purpose. That certainty was pleasant, so much better than the aimless fear she lived in for the past month. By the time the sun rose the next day Hanley was already dressed and putting on her shoes when Ace touched her shoulder.

"Getting an early start?" he asked curiously as he put on his shoes as well.

Hanley nodded, "I'm going to Eagle's Peak."

"You're going to climb Eagle's Peak? Why?"

"Ooh, is Hanley going to look for treasure?? I wanna come!" Luffy exclaimed as he hopped on her back from excitement.

"Ow! Idiot! What are you doing up?"

"Adventure!"

Hanley sighed and tightened her laces.

"I don't know when I'll be back, so enjoy the festival for me, okay?"

Ace looked amused, "Normally I wouldn't get in your way, but I don't think you should go by yourself. Have you ever climbed a mountain before?"

"Um, no, but I'll figure it out when I get there."

"Yeah, it can't be that hard!" Luffy seemed pleased with the idea. Ace sighed and scratched his head.

"There's no reason to go up there unless you're going to see Master Thai, right? Well, let's go."

Hanley looked at him in surprise, "You don't have to--"  
"I don't, but I want to. Think of it as a thank you for looking after my brother. Besides," he stood and held out his hand, "we're friends, right?"

"What? We are? Since when?"

"Hahaha, Luffy's right. You are funny."

"Death awaits you, Ace," she muttered as her face grew warm from embarrassment.

Ace laughed, "That's fine! Let me leave a note for Makino."

"Woo hoo! Treasure! This'll be my first adventure!" cried Luffy.

"We're not—you know what? Yes. Treasure. I'm sure Master Thai has mountains of gold stashed on the mountain just waiting for you."

Luffy nodded, "Yeah, I thought so, too."

"...It must be nice being you, Luffy."

"It is!"

Ace closed the door behind him, "I told her we were heading out. So, let's go. The main road will take us right to the mountain trail."

"Treasure, treasure!"

Hanley tried not to smile, "He won't shut up, will he?"

"No, probably not," Ace agreed.

Following Ace's directions, they headed north on the main road before reaching the base of the mountain. Hanley took a deep breath and looked up. Now that she was closer in the day light, it looked to be quite a trip. Maybe it was a good thing Ace and Luffy caught her after all. Well, nothing for it; besides, it's not as if she wasn't in shape.

Hanley was also glad she decided to leave so early. The cool mountain air made it all the more tolerable. Ace and Luffy, of course, weren't having any trouble with it at all.

"Damn, couldn't this guy live closer to town?" Hanley grumbled as she clambered over a wide rock. The trail ended a while back, forcing the three to make their own way up the mountain.

"He's a bit of a hermit," answered Ace. He paused and hauled her up onto the next ledge. Luffy was happily using his Devil Fruit ability to climb ahead and generally have fun at their expense.

"You can't beat me!" he called.

"Who wants to??" Hanley shrieked.  
"You're so lazy!"

"Get a new line, kid--"

"Luffy, Hanley, hide!" Ace snapped, taking her arm and grabbing Luffy by the neck before dragging them into a small space in the mountain wall. Hanley hissed when her magatama burned a second later.

"What did you see?" Was someone else up here?

"I don't believe it," Ace muttered. He pointed to the left, and Hanley saw a beautiful woman approaching them, surrounded on all sides by shabby looking men, "what's she doing up here?"

"Who? Who?" asked Luffy, squeezing past his brother to have a look.

"That's the mountain bandit Yura. She was a big deal toward the the East. I guess she's taking advantage of Higuma's death."

Hanley blinked, "What's going on? I thought you said Master Thai kept Eagle's Peak bandit-free."

"He does, but she's coming down from the top. She must have been to see him."

"That...doesn't sound good at all."

They fell silent as the bandits drew closer. Yura was a short woman with pale, scarred skin and light green hair. She had a large dagger at her waist and was shouldering a longer blade. The men were noticeably larger than she was, but it said something of her power that she kept them all in check. Yura was also noticeably angry, arguing with one of the men about something or other. Why was she up here? Was she looking for the rumored treasure? But Master Thai wouldn't have just let them walk out if that were it, right? If he even _had_ treasure. Ace made it sound as if he hated bandits.

Yura's words grew clearer as they drew near, "That damn stubborn man! He hasn't changed one bit!"

"Are you sure he has--"

"I'm positive. If this persists we'll have to force him to give it up," Yura sneered.

Hanley, Ace and Luffy (well, Ace shoved Luffy behind him) quickly ducked lower behind the boulder as the bandits marched passed. What was Yura looking for?

"Oh well," Hanley muttered once they passed, "not my problem. Come on, it sounds like he's up there."

"What if they steal all the treasure?" Luffy grumbled.

"Then steal it back." Luffy grinned and Hanley regretted ever saying anything. Oh well, too late now. They crept out of their hiding place and moved upward. The sun was almost directly above them in the sky at that point. Hanley was covered with sweat and one of her palms was starting to blister.

'I'm not going to give up, I'm not.'

The narrow path leveled out and the second Hanley's eyes fell on a large house she nearly collapsed in relief. Finally, they made it! She looked over the side of the cliff. They were higher up than she thought! No wonder she was worn out!

Master Krut Thai's house had definitely seen better days. The outside was worn and the roof could use replacing. There was a garden out back, but it was overgrown with weeds and basically uncared for. Her grandmother would have had a fit if she saw it.

Ace nodded, "Go on, we'll wait for you."

"Thank you, really. You two are..." Hanley trailed off, not sure how to continue. Luffy gave one of his eye blinding smiles.

"It's fun, Hanley!"

She laughed, "Okay, okay. Here, I have an idea: I'll talk to Master Thai and you two look for the treasure. We can meet here later." Ace raised an eyebrow while Luffy cheered. Hanley knew Luffy was practically dying to look for it, and it would be a good way for him to keep busy. The last thing she wanted was for them to sit around for who knows how long.

"You sure?" Ace asked. Hanley nodded. She could tell he was still worried about Yura and her bandits.

"It'll be fine. I don't think this will be over that soon."

"Well, good luck."  
"Thanks. Luffy, keep him busy."

Luffy nodded, "I will!" Hanley waited until Luffy dragged Ace out of sight before turning and heading to the door of the hut.

'I can do this,' she thought as she gave the door a brisk knock, 'I can do this, I can do this.'

"Enter," a deep voice boomed. Hanley gulped but squared her shoulders. She slid the door open and took a step inside.

The inside of the house was far better than the outside—although that wouldn't have been too difficult. It didn't take long for her to locate Krut Thai. He was sitting by a workstation, his large hands fashioning a piece of stone. She could see other, unfinished works strewn about the house. It was so like her grandfather and his models that she had to take a deep breath to keep from crying.

This is what she was here for.

Krut Thai scowled at her and stood. He approached her and stared down at her, clearly wondering where she got the gall to come to his house.

'You won't be getting rid of me so easily, pal.'

"Hanley, am I right? Why have you come up here?"

"I heard that you are a warrior."

Master Thai's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "I am. What of it? Are you trying to hire me?" His voice took on a note of amusement then. Hanley locked her knees to keep them from shaking.

"No. I want you to train me."

Krut Thai's eyes widened before narrowing.

"No," he scoffed as he turned on his heel and returned to his workbench. Hanley gaped a bit in shock before chasing after him.

"Wait! I need to learn how to fight! I won't be able to get home otherwise!  
"Tough luck. Hitch a ride."

"I will _not_ open myself up for attack again! Why won't you teach me??"

"You're too old."

"I'm ten!"

"Too old."

Hanley finally lost her temper, "You old bastard, what is it really??"  
"Fine," Master whipped around, nearly causing her to run smack into his thigh, "you are a woman. Untrustworthy, flighty, and manipulative. You think I'll just give up the secrets of my art simply because you ask."

"Then don't think of me as a woman," Hanley hissed, furious with him, "how can you say such a thing! You're wrong! I won't hear that from—from a person that hates women."

"Misogynist?"

"Yes! That!"

The man stared at her before grunting and plopping onto a chair.

"Have you ever, seriously, wanted to kill someone, little girl?"

Hanley faltered and found her eyes lowering to her feet, "I...no."

"Have you ever been willing to die for what you believe in?"

Hanley shook her head.

"Then don't come to my hut looking for me to teach you and then get angry when I find you wanting. Do you think this is a game, little girl? Do you know how many stupid children I get at my doorstep, whining and begging to learn my craft because they think it 'cool' or wanting to show off for fun? Then they realize just what learning my martial art entails and they wet their pants like infants. _You_ want to learn? The sole purpose of my style is to kill, the attacks are ruthless and devastating. Do you honestly think you can do that? Do you honestly think someone like you can get into a fight not just to defend yourself, but to erase your enemy's existence? Don't make me laugh." He waved his hand dismissively at her and turned back to his work. "The door is right over there, little girl. I suggest you go home, you don't have the temperament of a fighter and you'll only end up wasting my time."

Hanley felt that familiar, awful feeling of her eyes and throat burning from her tears. She remembered how helpless she felt on the _Red Dawn_ when Krieg and his men attacked, how she could only sit there like a fool when Luffy defended Shanks's honor against Higuma. It got him in trouble, but at least he could say he had the courage to stand up for himself and a friend.

And Shanks risked his life and sacrificed an arm to get him back. And he did it with a smile.

But what did she do? What _could_ she do?

Hanley took a step back, then another toward the door. Master Thai was largely ignoring her now, waiting for her to stop breathing his air and taking up space. She understood what he was saying perfectly well: it wasn't about never being in a fight, it was that willingness _to_ fight. She was all bark, really. She'd scream and yell, and use her height to intimidate, but she could only imagine how well she'd manage if one of her classmates ever thought to fight back. To go at her physically. She was a coward and she knew it. Master would waste his time trying to get someone like that to fight—someone that wasn't willing to take a risk on their life and health or be willing to take the responsibility of ending another's.

Maybe this was a waste of her time as well. Maybe she was just doomed to stay here and--

Never see anyone ever again.

Hanley paused at the doorway. To give into her fear and stay on the island meant never being able to go home. Waiting passively and _hoping_ whatever brought her here might whisk her away again. She would have to be willing to give up her choices and sit on her ass like a useless lump and whine about how tough she had it. This world, One Piece, was dangerous. If she wanted to get anywhere, she had to learn how to fight. She had to be willing to risk her life to grow strong and do what was needed.

She may as well forget the faces of her family and friends right this second. The thought of _never_ seeing her loved ones again was genuinely more terrifying than any pirate or monster this world had to throw at her.

"I'm not leaving," she whispered. Her voice was weak but Krut Thai heard it all the same.  
"I don't like repeating myself, girl."

"I'm not leaving," she answered again, voice growing stronger. "I won't leave until you teach me."

"No."

Hanley immediately fell to her knees and bowed forward, placing her forehead on the ground—the ultimate expression of humility.

"Please."  
"No."

"I swear I won't quit."

"You'll be tired of it before the year is out."  
"I'm not moving one centimeter."

"Then stay there all day for all I care."

And Hanley did just that. She remained in that position until she could no longer feel her legs and her forehead hurt and her back felt stiff. Hanley caught herself dozing several times, awakening only when Master stepped over her like she was piece of furniture.

But she wasn't going to move. She had made up her mind last night, and she had renewed her resolve hours ago. Ace told her that if it were him, he'd become strong. She will do the same. She will become strong, even if it meant studying with a woman-hater. She would show him. This was the right path to take, she had to trust that.

'I wonder what those two boys are doing now. I hope they aren't worried. It's gotten late. Makino-san must be getting anxious, too...'

"Why are you doing this, girl?" Krut Thai finally asked. He sounded tired and irritated. Hanley felt a petty surge of glee at that.

"I told you. I need to go home," Hanley croaked, "I need to become strong. I know you can help me."

"How?"

"Um, I just know." Better not tell him because her magatama told her to. It hadn't failed her so far, and at this point she had to take a risk or be completely helpless.

Krut Thai gave a grunt and fell silent.

Hanley raised her head slightly so she could look at him.

"What was her name, Master Thai?"

Krut Thai flinched, "Who?"

"The woman you hate? That's why you don't like them—us, right?"

Krut Thai stared into her eyes, and once again she got the feeling that he was examining her for some reason that was beyond her. Hanley forced herself to meet his stare. Now that he wasn't oozing contempt, she had to take advantage of it.

"She was a poisonous viper of a woman," he began, and Hanley barely kept from keeling over in shock, "she was very beautiful, and her words were like honey to the ears. Her hair was fire red and her skin was..." Krut Thai trailed off, looking slightly irritated.

'Hm, he still feels something for her,'

Krut Thai leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees.

"Your eyes are exactly like hers. Same color, same shape. When I saw those eyes I became angry and remembered things I did not wish to recall. I should have known better Hanley, than to love a woman who worshiped snakes and their ilk."

"But I like snakes."

Krut Thai's eyes narrowed and Hanley wisely shut her mouth. Then he gave a heavy sighed and continued to look her over.

'What are you looking for? I'm sorry that woman that hurt you, but I can't do anything about that. Please understand and help me,' she thought about what else he said, 'he said I looked like her, at least in the eyes. But why would I look like—'

"It is interesting...her name was Handerson."

"Handerson? What person names their daughter Handerson?"

"What person names their daughter Hanley?" he was quick to retort.

He had her there.

Krut Thai stood and walked to her, "Stand, Hanley. You need to get the blood back into your limbs."

"I told you I'm not—hey, put me down!" she was ignored as he pulled her upright and helped her get the feeling back into her legs. It was so painful she nearly cried from the stinging sensation as the blood began to flow again.

He spoke again, "Your friends have been waiting for you for hours."

"What? I thought I told them to--"

"Clearly they didn't listen to you," he remarked as he slid open the door, "see?"

Sure enough, Luffy and Ace were sitting cross legged across the yard, waiting for her to come out.

Hanley groaned, "You two!"

"Sorry, you didn't think that'd work for too long, did you?" Ace asked, smiling.  
"Yeah! Besides, we couldn't find the treasure. It wasn't fun without Hanley anyway," Luffy agreed.

Hanley shook her head and laughed.

"I thought I was lazy, Luffy."  
"You are, but you're also real funny!"

"Thanks, I think."

Ace stood, "Well, will you train her, Master Thai?" Hanley wasn't surprised he'd figured her out. Hanley looked up at the large man. He scowled before his eyes narrowed.

"We don't have the time. We must get to town."

Luffy looked awed, "Cool, it's really bright!"

"Idiot, it's on fire!" Hanley shrieked as she hobbled to the ledge, "We have to save Makino-san!"

"We'd never get there in time! Dammit!" Ace growled.

"I'll get her, Gomu Gomu no--" Luffy was cut off when a large hand scooped him up. Krut Thai also grabbed her and Ace, easily holding them in his large arms.

"Too slow, we go my way." With that, he leaped off the cliff.

Hanley screamed the entire way down.

"This is so cool!" Luffy screamed, laughing all the way. Ace looked thrilled, but it was warring with his concern and anger. Hanley wasn't happy at all.

"Areyouinsanegodsavemearrrrrrrgh!"

"Put that energy to good use, girl," Krut Thai rumbled over the wind in her ears, "you want my acknowledgment? Prove yourself to me, Hanley!"

"How about I kill you for giving me a heartattack??"

"Fuahahaha!"

"Why does everyone in this hell hole _laugh at me_??"

Krut Thai easily reached the base of the mountain and entered the town proper with a single mighty leap. He was hateful and infuriating, but he was also absolutely amazing. Hanley didn't think she had seen anything yet.

He set them down on the main street. Flames surrounded them. The heat alone made her cringe and shield her eyes. Krut Thai, however, looked about calmly.

"And another reason I don't take on any students. Yura has shamed me."

Ace frowned, "You know her? We saw her coming from your place."

"She was a pupil," he ignored their surprised shouts, "but I found her wanting and kicked her off my mountain before she completed her training. She is after something of mine. I spared her life as well as the lives of her punks out of respect for our former relationship, but I see I should have crushed them where they stood."

'Okay, don't piss off Master Thai, lesson learned.'

"You find your person. I will deal with Yura," Krut Thai ordered as he disappeared into the flames. Luffy's eyes were sparkling.  
"So. Cooool."  
"Come on, we have to make sure she's safe!" Ace said, heading towards the hotel.

"Yeah, she has to be worried about us," Hanley agreed. They dodged through panicked crowds and fire fighters. There was no sign of Makino, or Krut Thai, or any of the bandits.

Ace growled in frustration, "She's not anywhere."

"Makino-san's very smart," Hanley said, trying to calm him down, "she must've got the hell out first thing. Let's find out where they evacuated the villagers."

"Yeah, you're right. This way, there's a cave system to the west. With the wind coming from Eagle's Peak, they should be safe there."

"Right, lead the way!"

"Look, it's Neck Tie!" Luffy cried, pointing to the town square.

"Krut Thai, Luffy. Krut Thai."

He was facing a furious Yura. She was yelling at him, but he looked calm—hell, he looked downright bored. Hanley supposed when you were a giant, powerful man you were entitled to scenic walks through a burning village while your former student tried to assassinate you. It was only proper.

Then Yura unsheathed her sword and lunged at him. Hanley stared in amazement as she expertly wielded her blade. It was like she was dancing! Her sword flashed, trying to strike down Master Thai. But he also moved with surprising speed and agility. Krut Thai had no weapons, so he seemed content to dodge her slashes and stabs. Yura spun, kicked, and leaped, never letting up for a moment. Her underlings began to surround the dueling pair, taking out their own weapons. Ace growled and Luffy cracked his knuckles.

"Luffy, let's even it up a bit! We gotta make these assholes pay for what they did!"

"Yosh!"

"Stay out of sight, Hanley!" The two charged the bandits, taking them by surprise. Hanley bit her lip and looked around for a weapon.

'No way, I'm not gonna cower anymore! If this is what I need to do to become strong enough to leave this place, then...' It wasn't a sake bottle, to her disappointment, but the wooden board would have to do. She grabbed it and charged the first man she saw.

"Hiya!!" She swung low, catching him in the back of the knee. He went down fast, but quickly rolled away into a standing position. Hanley's grip tightened on the wood. "C-Come on!"

The man laughed at her and slowly drew his dagger. He gave the blade a lick, obviously trying to scare her. Ha! Krieg was scarier; Master Thai was downright terrifying compared to this loser! Hanley charged and swung the board again. The bandit easily deflected it and lunged forward. She fell back with a scream and shoved the board forward into the man's crotch.

He squeaked and went down hard.

Hanley was on him then, beating him furiously over the head and shoulders.

"Take that! This is for LIVING!!!"

"Alright Hanley! Whoo!" Luffy cheered, done with his share of the bandits.

"I think he's done, Hanley," said Ace, dropping a bandit. Hanley blinked and stopped her assault, breathing heavily. The bandit gave a soft groan but didn't move from his spot.

She gave a small laugh and looked at the brothers, "I-I did it! I really did it! I beat someone! I really beat up someone! Yay! I can do it!"

"Hanley was so cool! Do it again!" Luffy urged, grinning wildly.

"U-Um, maybe later," Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, what was she thinking? "Where's Master Thai?"

Ace looked around, "I think he went this way, come on!"

Hanley and Luffy followed Ace toward the pavilion. The building itself was ruined, reduced to a smoking pile of rubble. Yura and Krut Thai were fighting on the fairgrounds.

"Give it to me, old man, it is my right!"

"You are a fool, Yura! If there were such a thing, I would not give it to one so undeserving. I suggest you go through some regenerations. Perhaps in your next life you'll be worthy of even thinking about it!"

"Shut up!"

'This must be so rough. It doesn't mean he's right in disliking women just because he's hurt every time he interacts with one, but I can understand—at least a little.'

Yura did a succession of spinning heel kicks before swinging the blade behind her in a quick, slashing motion. Krut Thai began to move back, but was momentarily stopped by the thin rope Yura yanked from her belt and wrapped around his waist to halt his movements. He merely blinked when the blade came to a stop at his belly.

"You should have followed through on that, you might have gotten lucky," he said condescendingly.

"Silence. Now, give me what I deserve," Yura hissed.

"I would be careful saying that, if I were you."

'You'll get what's coming to you, alright,' Hanley thought as she rushed forward. How dare Yura?? How dare she burn down this town and endanger everyone and—

Krut Thai looked at her in surprise.

"Hanley--" Before she could swing, Yura whirled and struck like lightning. The board all but disintegrated in her hands with a well placed elbow. Yura drew her sword back to give a fatal strike before Krut Thai's massive hand wrapped around her neck. The other easily grabbed Yura's arms and held them behind her back. Hanley wasn't sure what he was doing, but a series of sickening cracks told her everything she needed to know. Hanley took a step back and covered her mouth in horror. Yura tried to scream, but the sound was gurgled from Krut Thai's merciless grip on her neck. His face was blank when he looked up.

"You don't need to see this, go with your friends," Krut Thai ordered, his eyes glowing dimly from the light of the fire. Hanley stuttered and stumbled back. Ace, she assumed it was Ace, grabbed her and dragged her out of the fairgrounds. Hanley only got a glimpse of Krut Thai raising his arm before they slipped past the tree line and out of sight.

"That was insane, Hanley," Ace commented, not sounding particularly upset. He looked more surprised than anything.

"I...don't know what came over me. That woman made me so mad!" answered Hanley, trying to get the image of Krut Thai crushing Yura's bones out of her head. Did he have to be so...ew?

'That must have been what he meant, earlier. About taking responsibility for ending someone's life. Can I really do that? Will I be forced to do that?' Hanley shook her head. 'No, there must be another way! Going straight for the kill can't be the answer, not even for this place!'

She didn't want to kill anyone, she just wanted to go home. Surely she wouldn't have to do that.

It was far cooler away from the flames. Every tree and rock looked exactly the same, but Ace appeared to know where he was going as he led them up a small incline.

"Hey, it's some kids," Luffy pointed out.

"You were right, Ace," Hanley said, relieved. Makino-san must be here somewhere! They hurried up to the evacuation site, past various children and adults.

"Makino-san?? Are you here??" she called, looking around.

"See anything, Luffy?" Ace asked. Luffy was perched in a tree and looking around.

"Nope! Too dark!"

"Okay, well--"

"Everyone!" They turned to see Makino racing toward them. She looked disheveled and tired, but otherwise okay as she ran up and brought them into a hug.

"You're alive, thank goodness! I couldn't find you anywhere!"

'I'm not going to cry, I'm not going to cry!'

"I'm sorry, we were up on the mountain all day," Hanley explained.

Luffy nodded, "Hanley's gonna train with Neck Tie!"

"Krut Thai, Luffy, Master Krut Thai."

"Oh?" Makino asked, frowning slightly, "I'm not sure I like that..."

Hanley winced. She was afraid of that, which was why she didn't specify where she was going. It did look bad: going off to train with a man that lived on a mountain by himself and was apparently a miso-whatever. But she was positive this is what she needed to do.

"He hasn't agreed," Hanley said, "but if he does, I'm going to do it. I know you're worried, but it'll be for the best, really!"

"Well, if you're sure." She didn't sound happy, but she wasn't going to force Hanley to stay either.

Ace looked around, "What are they going to do now?"

"They don't know. They'll just have to see how much damage was done. Our hotel room went up in flames, though."

"Oh no, everything?" Hanley groaned.

Makino gave a smile, "Well, I did manage to save some clothes, but I think you'll be happier to hear I saved this." She reached into her bag and pulled out the plush squid Luffy won for her yesterday. Hanley absolutely beamed.

"Squidy!"

"_Squidy_?" Ace asked, amused.

Hanley blushed and coughed, "Shut up, Ace."

"Haha, it's a good name."

"You should've named him Luffy," you-know-who suggested.

"That's your name."

"Yup!"

Makino laughed, "Come on, let's try to get some rest, hm?"

That was, ultimately, easier said than done. The firemen managed to get the blaze under control by the next morning. When the smoke cleared, the town of Eagle's Peak was in a bad way. There was a lot of structural damage. A great many people lost their homes and they would have to rebuild practically from scratch.

The Mayor stood on the ruins of the pavilion, making himself high enough to catch everyone's attention. Hanley tried to pay attention to what he said, but Luffy was making that difficult and she was trying to figure out what happened to Master Thai. She couldn't see his large shape in the crowd at all. The sound of energized cheering brought her back to the present, however.

"What happened?" she asked Ace.  
"They're continuing the festival."

"Eh?? But why?"

Ace gave a shrug, "They've been celebrating it for centuries, never missing a year in all that time."

"Oh, that's pretty cool," Hanley replied.

"Yeah, it is. Besides, it's the best part today."

"It is?"  
Luffy dashed up then, lugging some small containers.

"Color fight!" he yelled excitedly. His hair was already dripping with red water.

'They don't wait long, do they?'

"Oh, that's right, you throw colored powder and water at each other today."

"Sure do, hold still," said Ace as he took a container and opened it. He scooped up some blue powder and carefully smeared her cheeks and forehead. Hanley could feel her cheeks growing warm and was glad they couldn't tell. Makino was already giving her sappy looks.

"Since you don't like the idea of throwing it, we'll do this. You can't get out of it that easily, you know," he explained.

"U-Um."  
"Heh, don't look so nervous, Hanley."

"I'm not nervous! Gimme that powder!"

"Do me next! Me, me!"

"Hold on, Luffy, you're getting that all over the place!"

"That's the point, Hanley!"

"Don't get it in my mouth--"

"So you are still alive, good."

Maybe she should just find a new heart. The one she had was bound to give out on her at this rate.

Hanley had no idea someone so big could appear out of nowhere, completely free of any powder or water despite the controlled chaos around them. She supposed no one had the nerve to throw something at him.

"Um, thank you?" Hanley answered, not sure how to respond.

Krut Thai's lips twitched, "You surprised me. I did not think someone like you could work up the nerve to attack someone that clearly surpassed you in skill and power."

"Yeah..."

"You have seen a bit of what I can do. Do you still want to learn from me?"

"Well," Hanley trailed off so she could get her thoughts together, "you scared me last night. You broke her like she was nothing. I kept thinking later that you didn't have to go that far."

"She was ready to eviscerate me, why should I not use that kind of force?"

"You knew you were stronger! You didn't have to crush her like that!"

"She burned down an innocent town to get at one person."

"That doesn't mean you had to do what you did," Hanley huffed, "even if she should have gotten her ass kicked."

Krut Thai hummed and tilted his head slightly to the side. The others were watching the exchange, not interfering, even though Makino looked like she wanted to.

Hanley shook her head, 'Why is he asking me this stuff? He was wrong, and it looks like he knew it! Why is he bothering, he'll do what he wants anyway.'

Krut Thai spoke after a few moments, "Is that what you truly think? Well, we'll see how you do, then."

"Um, wha?"

"Do not get me wrong, Hanley. I still dislike children, and I have very little faith in your sex, and I am probably being a fool to accept you if you are who I think you are."

"Who I am? What do you mean?"

"But I think it could be worth my time. So, do you accept?"

'Okay, don't answer my question.'

"Hanley accepts!" Luffy answered cheerfully.

"H-Hey! Don't speak for me!" she protested, dumping an entire container of powder over his head.

"You were taking too long! You're so slow!"

"At least you're not calling me lazy."

Ace placed his hands behind his head, "It's too bad, we just met, Hanley. But I'll probably be coming back here sometime. Can I stop by?"

"You are?" she sputtered.

"Hm, something wrong?"

"But we just met!"

"You really are funny. Luffy says you're nakama, so that's good enough for me."

Hanley's lip started quivering and she worked hard not to shed any tears.

'I am _not_ going to cry!'

Hanley smiled widely, "Um, alright! I hope we see each other as much as possible! Er, Master Thai?"

"What is it?" he asked, looking bored.

"When do we start?"

"Tonight."

"Eh??"

"I can tell you have exercised regularly, but your body's condition is far below satisfactory. We will fix that."

Oh shit, maybe she was too quick to trust her magatama.

"You have until sunset to get to my house on Eagle's Peak. For your sake, I hope you don't bleed easily."

Luffy beamed at her and shook her arm, "That sounds like so much fun, Hanley! Lucky!"

"I. Um. Shit," she croaked.

"Also, if I were you, I would not be late," he warned.

"Um, yes, sir! I won't be! But..."

"What?"

"Isn't anyone mad at you? You are supposed to keep this place safe, right? And Yura was your student, so aren't you going to do something?"

"Oh, that. I took care of the bandits and disposed of them. I am forgiven."

"...It must be nice being you, Master Thai."

"It rather depends on the circumstances," he rumbled, looking faintly amused as he continued on his way toward the base of the mountain.

Hanley took a deep breath. This was it, the first step on her way back home. She'll grow strong and get back to her friends and family.

Even if it meant leaving her new one behind.

Hanley hesitantly looked at the others, "Um, well, I guess this is--"  
"Group hug!"

"Luffy!!" Luffy stretched his arms and brought them all together into a crushing embrace.

"When Hanley's done with Neck Tie, she'll be my first crewmember, right??"

"I told you before, no!"

Ace laughed softly, aware he was right by her ear, "He's already decided, Hanley."

"If you're going to be leaving so soon, you'll have to have some fun, first!" Makino said, using her height to pick up a pail and dump water all over them. Hanley squealed while the boys laughed and set about exacting their revenge. It didn't take long for her to join in on the fight as well.

She didn't know what was going to happen to her in the future. This place was new and frightening and full of mysteries—Master Krut Thai being one of them; however, she wasn't going to lose.

*

"You are earlier than expected, Hanley," Krut Thai noted as he sat outside of his home. He didn't look up at her, preferring to read a letter that must have been recently delivered by the bird perched on his shoulder. Hanley paused in collapsing on the ground to give the bird a glare.

_Seagull_.

Hanley forced herself to focus on her new instructor, "Yes, sir. I'm eager to start."

"Oh? That's a good attitude to have. Let us see how long it will last."

That wasn't ominous _at all_.

"Come closer, Hanley," he ordered. Hanley obediently staggered toward him. She noticed the scowl growing on his face.

"Who is that from?"

Krut Thai's eyes glanced at her before returning to the letter.

"Someone exasperating will be coming here very soon."

"I'm sorry."  
"He's actually a friend. I have known him for many years, since we were both young. You know his grandsons already."

Hanley blinked, "I do? Oh, wait!"

"Yes, Monkey D. Garp will be returning."

**********

To be continued! As you can tell I love my mythology, so you'll be seeing a lot of it. And more stuff got revealed, even if it took me a while to get there. I hope you like Master Krut Thai—or, not, considering his personality. Anyway, as always, read and review!


	6. Monkey D Garp

And here's another super long chapter of my fic! I was really motivated this time! I would like to, again, thank those who reviewed: nothing new in this world, Spellcaster Hikaru, Wateranddarkness666, EchoesxGrace, Devonlizz, XcrazyXookamiX and Mayacompany, thanks a lot for taking the time to drop a line. Special thanks must go to Spellcaster Hikaru for taking the time (and trouble XD) to look this chapter over before posting.

I've gotten a couple of questions about whether Ace and Hanley will ever get together. All I can say is: no idea! Pairings wise, nothing is set in stone because, honestly, romance isn't my main concern. It will be a secondary one, passing at that. With that said, I am a huge Ace fan ;D

**Warnings:** None

_Hanley_

Chapter Five: In Which Monkey D. Garp Does What He Wants

**********

Monkey D. Garp

Monkey D. Garp didn't like spending too much time thinking. For one thing, it hurt if he did it too long. For another, sitting around and thinking about strategies and techniques and making things easier simply wasn't his style. There was more to be done _doing_! He was a do-er (his wife said he was, at any rate), and he'd always prided himself on following his gut instincts. His gut had never failed him before and had unfailingly good taste.

However, there have been times in his life when he had to think. He'd been forced to do it upon joining the Marines (sort of), and he'd had to do it when he became an officer (mostly). There were probably other times, but Garp couldn't really remember those and didn't feel like thinking about it. He was able to get out of it for a long time when his wife was still alive (she insisted and who was he to tell her differently), but when she died he was forced to take it up again.

So now here he was, on deck of a small military vessel and forcing himself to think deeply about what to do when he reached port at Fuschia. His visits were few and far in-between due to his job, so he made it a point to make them count when he was there. His aid went behind his back and sent notice ahead this time, even though Garp thought it was far more fun to make a surprise out of visiting. The look on their faces alone when he came in often made the trip worth it. He wasn't going to get that satisfaction now—Ace would be on the lookout at least, and it was no fun when Ace was being paranoid.

'I could still get Luffy, though. He will not be able to avoid my Fist of Love,' Garp thought, nodding his head.

He would see Makino first, and then he could assess how much Ace had grown in his absence. The boy was good about keeping up with his training without a teacher to breathe down his neck. As for Luffy, maybe—eh, nevermind, he's thought enough for today. He'll come up with something for them to do later.

"We're near Fuschia, sir!" announced Petty Officer Bogart as he exited the bridge and approached his superior. Bogart had been his aid ever since Garp convinced the man to enlist last year. He was a skillful swordsman and very trustworthy, but he was often a drag on his superior officer's fun. Bogart's latest example of spoilsport-ery was prohibiting him from using one of their larger ships so he could shoot off canons to signal his arrival. If he couldn't get the drop on the boys then the next best thing would have been to proclaim his arrival with a bang.

Bogart nixed that idea and reserved them spots on a modified cargo ship named _The African Queen_.

Garp nodded and stood, making his way to the bow of the ship.

"Bwaha, good! I was starting to get bored," Garp replied as he dug into his box of donuts.

"How long will you be here, sir?"

"A while. I've built up a lot of vacation days and they practically begged me to take them."

"Begged, sir?"

"Indeed! They even got down on their knees. I didn't agree until one of the men started crying," he answered and shoveled two donuts down his throat. Garp idly noted that the look on the Bogart's face was a lot like the one Sengoku gave him from time to time.

"That's interesting, sir."

"Oh, it is?" Garp stood and brushed the crumbs from his suit jacket, "Anyway, just be back to pick me up in a month."

The Petty Officer sighed, "Will you actually leave if we come back, sir?"

"We'll see!"

"Yes, of course. I've gotten used to that."

"Got used to what? Oh, well. Be sure to take care of things while I'm gone," said Garp as he leaped over the side. The men below screamed and dove out of the way before he crushed them in his haste. The small boat rocked dangerously but miraculously stayed afloat.

Garp looked around, "Wahaha! What are you doing in the water? Hurry up, I have to see my grandsons."

A Seaman Apprentice looked over the side and scratched his head.

"Sir, is the Vice Admiral usually this, er--"

Bogart merely raised an eyebrow, "It would be best not to think about it."

It took a bit for the men to climb aboard and sort themselves out, but soon they were rowing furiously toward port. Garp stood in the middle of the boat and watched as Fuschia grew larger in the distance, idly munching on a donut. His wife was born and raised here, and they had met on these very waters during his time as Chief Petty Officer at the Marine Base in Shell Town. She was also buried in Fuschia, on the north hill above the village proper. He didn't think she'd mind him paying her a visit months after her birthday—it's not as if he were ever on time.

'She'll probably still smack me, though, when I see her again. She always liked doing that.'

When they drew close enough to port Garp took a deep breath and leaped onto the docks.

"Take my things to my house!" He ordered as he made his way into the village. One of the Chore Boys looked at the others.

"...Do any of you know where his house is?"

Garp strolled through town, taking in the familiar houses and shops. Everything looked exactly the same as it always did. Nothing in Fuschia ever really changed, and if it weren't for the special circumstances he'd have probably packed his charges up and headed for more exciting waters. Or, at least, closer to where he worked.

Not that that was really an option.

The streets were disappointingly empty, but considering the time of day he didn't expect anything else. He turned the corner onto the main road. There was Party's Bar, just ahead. It looked empty, but Makino would probably be there anyway. Garp marched right up and burst through the doors. They came off completely and flew until they hit the opposite wall.

"Makino!" he called, stepping over the debris with ease.

"Garp-san! You're earlier than expected!" Makino said as she walked out from the back. She gave a resigned sigh at the state of her doorway and motioned him in, "I wish you'd watch your strength, though."

"Sorry," he answered carelessly, clearly not that apologetic as he sat down at a table. He grinned widely when she set down a plate full of donuts. He'd already finished his last box on the way over.

"Would you like something to drink, Garp-san?"

"Coffee, black, if you have it. Where's Luffy?"

"Oh, he and Ace left the village yesterday. They were gone rather suddenly."

Garp laughed, "Oh, did they? What was Ace thinking? He's a hundred years too early to be avoiding me!" He dipped a glazed donut into his coffee. It was no matter—this was far more interesting anyway!

"I guess he had to try. How have you been?" asked Makino, sitting across from him.

"Busy as usual. Sengoku's been trying to keep me occupied."

"Oh? With paperwork?"

"Yes. Apparently it's 'vitally important' or something."

"I'm sorry, that's no good at all."

"It's no big deal, I just don't do it."

Makino blinked, "Yes, right. Well, anyway, the boys are perfectly fine. They--"

"Oh, I know. As a matter of fact, I wanted to give this to you," Garp interrupted as he reached into his coat and placed a large sack of berri down on the table. Makino frowned slightly and looked up at him.

"You know that isn't necessary, Garp-san. I don't mind looking after the boys."

"I know that. But it can't be easy, you must admit. Besides, what of the girl you also took in?"

"Hanley? Oh, she's fine. At any rate, she'll be spending most of her time with Master Krut Thai now."

Garp blinked scratched his beard, "That old fart? Bwahaha! I'll have to see him!"

At that, Garp stood and snagged the plate of donuts on his way out.

"It's your decision to use that, Makino. Never let it be said I don't pay my debts. Besides, you won't have to worry about taking care of them much longer."

"Mm," then Makino smiled at him, "My Aunt Frieda actually spoke to me yesterday."

"Thought she was avoiding you."

"Oh, she still is, but it was just to pass along a message. She says 'hello.'"

Garp shuddered, "I bet she does. Tell that perverted old woman I like my pants where they are, thanks."

Makino could only cough in response.

**********

Amano Hanley

"Tell me," Krut Thai rumbled as he sat before her, "what you have learned so far, Hanley."

"Um, well, it is an art that has eight limbs: hands and feet, elbows and knees," she recited obediently.

"Is that all you have to say?"

"No, sir. One must attack as quickly and efficiently as possible. One must defeat their enemy in the shortest amount of time as there may be others to confront."

Krut Thai slowly exhaled, breathing out a thick cloud of smoke. He lightly tapped his pipe on the mat. Hanley kept herself perfectly still, legs crossed and her wrists reseting lightly on her knees. Even now she never quite got used to the Master's dark red eyes. Sometimes she wondered if they were born red, or if they had turned red.

'From the blood of innocents,' she thought, barely containing a snicker.

"And how can this be achieved, Hanley?"  
"It requires a perfect balance of speed, strength, timing, and skill, Master Thai. Pinpoint accuracy is also crucial to mastering the effectiveness of your technique."

"You make a good parrot, if nothing else. Do you believe you can achieve those things, Hanley?"  
"I have to, sir."

"Good answer. You just might. After all, you are a surprisingly durable female," Krut Thai gave a snort and smoothly unwound his legs from the full lotus position and stood. It was disgusting that a man his size could be that flexible.

'You would know, you asshole. If there was an agency I'd probably report you,' Hanley thought angrily. She stood as well and followed him outside. The air was bitingly cold despite the season due to the elevation and time of day. The sun had not properly risen yet, and it would be sunset until she could return to her bed in the house. Hanley roughly scratched her hip and sighed. She knew it wasn't going to be easy. She knew Krut Thai wasn't going to be easy.

'I'll just keep telling myself that.'

"You know what to do, girl, go fetch some water," he ordered.

Hanley nodded, "Yes, sir." She grabbed the yoke from the side of the house and hooked two buckets on the ends. She balanced it on her shoulders and carefully stood. Living on top of a mountain like Eagle's Peak wasn't that convenient when it came to getting water, and every morning Master Thai made sure to force her to go pick some up. It was hard going as the tiny paths were steep and lugging water around without losing her balance and sloshing it everywhere was a trial in and of itself.

The fact he put a time limit on her progress made her want to kick him in his sleep.

Hanley jogged down the mountain, being careful not to land too roughly on her heels to keep the jarring to a minimum. Fortunately she didn't have to go the base of the mountain—there was a small waterfall and pool a quarter of the way down.

"Damn, what a slave driver!" she complained when she reached the pool. She took the opportunity to wash up briefly before dipping the buckets in the water. She gave a groan when she realized that sometime during the night, he must have switched out her normal buckets for even larger ones.

"Okay, stay positive, that means I'm doing something right."

Two months had passed since she had persuaded Master Krut Thai to teach her his art. She had only known him a short amount of time, but Hanley was already positive of one thing.

Master Krut Thai was a sadistic bastard.

Not just a sadist—he was a _Sadist_. Master Krut Thai was an asshole and she had willingly, no, begged the man to teach her how to protect herself.

Not that there was anyone to protect her from _him_.

Hanley swore that if she ever, _ever_ got back home, she'd be the perfect granddaughter and friend. She'd sit through her grandfather's lectures on ship models, watch Dragonball Z with Natsuhiko until her brain melted and poured out of her ears, study math equations for her grandmother until she could see numbers in her sleep—_anything_.

Krut Thai was unbelievably demanding, physically and mentally. It was as if he were grinding her into the ground so that he may build her up again anew and fit to receive his martial art. Hanley couldn't help but think if this was how he treated Yura _before_ kicking her off the mountain, she could understand why the woman went ballistic and burned down Eagle's Peak.

She had some time, so Hanley took the opportunity to stretch in preparation for the beating—no, "workout" to come. She examined her hands and feet and made a face. They were already calloused and a little ugly in her opinion. Her shins weren't looking that great either. In addition to the eight limbs, shins were also used to land kicks, so Krut Thai made it a point to have her beat the crap out of stuff to toughen them up as well. Hanley had to have spent a good deal of her time alone conditioning her body.

'But this is worth it. Grandpa, Grandma, and everyone else are worth it. I'm not just a coward, I'm not.'

"And now I'm getting a damn rash from sleeping on the mat," Hanley growled as she scratched at her hip once more. It was worse on her right hip, but now other areas were starting to act up as well. She knew better than to whine about it in front of Master Thai, though.

Hanley hooked the now full buckets and began to make her way back to the house. She moved carefully—Master Thai required the liquid be at a certain level, and she'd have to repeat the trip as many times as necessary to get it right.

She'd found that out the hard way.

Hanley gave a grunt as she climbed up the last rock before she entered their yard. However, her foot slipped and the weight nearly caused her to fall backwards. She immediately stretched her right leg back and strained to remain upright. The muscles in her thighs and back were burning by the time she regained her balance.

"Oh, that was close," Krut Thai commented nonchalantly as he returned his attention to the morning paper.

Son of a bitch. "I know, I--"  
"It's been a while, Hanley!"

Hanley shrieked as a, unfortunately, familiar weight hit her back, pitching her forward and spilling her hard earned water all over her and the ground. The yoke followed soon after as she immediately pushed the body off of her and whirled around.

"Monkey D. Luffy!!!"

Luffy smiled at her, his hat pushed back so he could look up at her properly.

"Hiya!"

"Yo, Hanley," Ace greeted, smacking his brother over the head, "I'm sorry about him, he got away from me."

"Ace!"

"Oh, and you have visitors, Hanley," Krut Thai added helpfully.

Hanley glared at him.

"Now go back down and fetch more water."

*

"I really am sorry about him," Ace said as he waited by the pool. Luffy was busy making funny faces at his reflection. Hanley sighed and scratched her head.

"Oh, it's fine I guess. Um, I really missed you guys! Is Makino-san here?"  
"Nope, she couldn't come. Ace said we had to get out of Fuschia right away," answered Luffy.

Hanley frowned slightly, "Really?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it," Ace quickly replied, looking vaguely uncomfortable. Hanley blinked but decided not to bother him about it.

The brothers haven't changed at all since she last saw them two months ago. Hanley was surprised at how much she ended up missing everyone. Well, she wasn't so shocked that she missed spending the day with Makino-san at Party's Bar, but the fact that she ended up missing Luffy's antics as well pretty much blindsided her. She even missed Ace, and they had _just_ met.

What would it be like when she finally managed to leave?

'I'll deal with that when I have to. I'll live.'

"So," Ace began. Hanley looked confused when he trailed off.

"Um, yeah?"

"Training. It looks difficult."

Hanley rolled her eyes and sighed, "You have no idea. He's a bastard. After I get back up there you get to watch me kick banana trees. You know, when he said he hoped I didn't bleed easily, he wasn't joking."

Ace looked amused at her misfortune.

"If it makes you feel any better, you look stronger."

"Oh, I do?" Hanley hooked the buckets up once more and slowly stood so she wouldn't tip over, "I'm glad for that, at least! But I have years to go, dammit."

"That's how it is."

"Are you training, too? Is that why you and Luffy are here?

"Well, I'm always training, but...anyway, we're just visiting."

'What aren't you telling me?' Hanley gave him a suspicious look. Ace merely grinned in return. She grumbled at him and began to make her return climb. The two kept ahead of her so they could talk and catch up.

"Can you play, Hanley?" Luffy demanded with his usual energy as they approached the house.

"We'll see. Master Thai might be nice enough to give me a little break. There's a lot of stuff on the mountain I wanna show you."

Luffy brightened, "Treasure??"

"No, still no mountains of gold for you to pirate, Luffy."

Luffy made a face, "Oh, we can still have adventures, right?"

"Sure—oh shit!" Hanley ducked when a projectile came straight at her face. She could feel it graze the top of her head as it passed. The extra weight on her shoulders caused her to tip wildly and the only reason she didn't spill her water _again_ was through the grace of God and nothing more. She angrily set the buckets on the ground and glared at her teacher.

"What the hell was that??"

Master Thai was still at the same spot they left him, but this time his paper was tucked under his arm and he was looking at her with a slightly amused expression. Hanley didn't know how he lived before he was able to torment her. He probably had to make do with kicking small animals and stealing candy from children.

Krut Thai answered, "You must be on guard at all times."

"What did you throw at me?? Are you crazy??" she shrieked.

"Always be aware of your surroundings. And you sound like a harpy," he easily ignored her shout of indignation, "defense is extremely important and it must always be at the forefront of your mind."

"I was just getting water--"

Krut Thai scowled, "Especially when you're doing mundane tasks! If you don't guard then you _deserve_ every hit you get, am I clear?"

"...Yes--"

"Good, and if I were you I would remember that."

"...You'll be throwing crap at me from now on, right?"

"How astute," he drawled. You could cut through his sarcasm with a knife, "you brought it upon yourself by allowing that loud child to sneak up on you. Clearly I will need to do something about that as well."

The clearing fell silent until Luffy spoke up.

"I'm hungry." Ace and Hanley sighed at that.

Krut Thai grunted, "I suppose I can feed you. Hanley, store the water and start your exercises."

"Sir!"

"Ooh, do you have meat??"

"You'll have what I feel like setting out for you," Krut Thai grumbled as he entered his home.

'How does Luffy do it? He's got Master Thai feeding him now!'

Hanley carried the buckets to the larger storage unit and dumped the water inside. She placed them aside and headed to the cluster of banana trees placed in the garden. Krut Thai had only taught her the basics so far, and it was then that Hanley finally realized just how much work she had ahead of her. She had no idea so much thought went into martial arts. Well, she had an idea, of course, but she just didn't realize there was almost a science to it. She had always thought that a punch was a punch and that was the end of it. Krut Thai would have none of that, however, as he showed her how to keep her thumb tucked and aim with the first two knuckles so she wouldn't break her hands upon impact, the importance of keeping her wrist straight and using her shoulder as well as her arm, and other small things such as rotation to add power. Then he had her punch over and over again until she could barely lift her arms—rinse and repeat with elbow strikes, knee strikes and kicks. The man was a hardass, but she was definitely learning something new everyday, at least.

Hanley settled into her stance (making sure to keep her guard up). She paused and glanced to the side to see Ace sitting calmly on the large rock in the center of the garden.

She squirmed a bit, "Um, you're going to watch?"

"There's nothing else to do, really, other than watch Luffy stuff his face."

"Er, I guess not...just don't laugh, okay?"  
"Why would I do that?" Ace looked genuinely confused, so Hanley dropped it. Ace didn't seem to be the type, but she just wasn't used to anybody else watch her flail about like an idiot. Hanley took a deep breath and began kicking the tree trunk with her shins before Master Thai lost his patience with her.

"That was pure sloppiness. Again." Of course, he promptly lost patience with her over something _else_. Luffy was out of sight, but Krut Thai was visible in the window that looked out into the garden. His workbench was right there, so he had probably started working on his stone statues again.

"Yes, sir."

"And how many times do I have to tell you: rotate your hips."

Hanley glowered a bit, "Yes. Sir."

"And I had better not see you pivot on your heel."

Hanley growled and turned to glare at him, hands on her hips.

"You won't."

'Because death awaits you. Oh, does it await you.'

"Aren't you supposed to be feeding somebody?" Hanley huffed under her breath in irritation when he turned away from the garden.

"I would be remiss in my duties if I let you use improper technique."

"How'd he even hear me?" she asked Ace, not really expecting an answer as he was too busy snickering at them both.

"Do you know what I don't hear? I don't hear you kicking, girl."

"Do you know what _I_ want to hear?"

"Judging from your tone, you must want to hear me increase your training three fold."

Hanley quickly resumed beating up the banana tree.

"You must have a lot of fun up here," Ace said.

"Oh, yes, let me share the good times on Eagle's Peak," she snapped in reply, giving the tree an extra hard kick to vent her anger.

"Haha, you've lasted this long, haven't you? I think you're doing fine."

"Sure," she trailed off as she switched positions, "um, Ace?

"Hm?"

"I've been thinking. You should, you know, tell me about yourself."

Ace blinked, surprised. Hell, she was surprised she got up the nerve to ask. Hanley knew a lot about Luffy (not that he was very complex), but Ace was pretty guarded. She didn't even realize it until after she started living on Eagle's Peak that she only knew his name and that he sat under freezing cold waterfalls for kicks.

Well, that last part was her exaggerating but same difference.

Still, shouldn't she know more? He said they were friends, right?

"Me? Well, I'm nothing interesting."

Hanley paused and looked at him, "I'd like to hear it."

"You would?"

"That's what I said! Geez."

"Okay, okay."

They fell silent then, with the sound of Hanley's kicks being the only thing that broke the monotony. Finally, she spoke up again before the awkwardness killed her.

"I think this is where you start talking."

Ace smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "Heh, I don't really know what to say. Uh, I guess my favorite color's red?"

"...You guess?"

"Well, I like black, too."

"Oh. Red's nice."

"It is."

"...Hey, Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"We're not that good at this, are we?"

"I don't think so, no. Just as well, Master Thai's about to throw something at you."

Hanley immediately dove to the side just as something smashed against the banana tree she was pulverizing.

"If you're talking, that means you're not breathing correctly! Forget it. Just come inside and make some tea. This brat is getting on my nerves," Master Thai snapped before shutting the window.

Hanley slowly picked herself off the ground, "I will never see my eleventh birthday."

"Is he always that cheerful?" asked Ace, slipping off his perch.

"I think he's mad because I'm getting distracted," Hanley sighed as she passed him to enter the house, "but he can deal, I haven't seen my friends in a month, right?"

"Right. Hey, Hanley? You never said what your favorite color was."

"O-Oh. It's, um, blue," she quickly slid open the door, "are you bothering Master Thai, kid? Good for you!"

One look at Master Thai's face and Hanley knew he was going to get her back later. However, she was determined to enjoy it while she could.

Luffy took a bite out of a small rack of meat, "He won't tell me about how he got his treasure."

"There really is a treasure, Master Thai? I thought you were just making fun of Yura!" Hanley exclaimed.

"Hmph, just make the damn tea," came an irritated grunt.

'Fine, ass.'

Ace sat down beside his brother, "Don't give our hosts any trouble, Luffy."

"I'm not!" Luffy answered brightly.

"How long will you two be staying?" Hanley asked as she heated up some water. She had only brewed tea once before as Krut Thai usually handled the food preparation. This was probably some form of punishment for slacking off.

"Oh, I dunno. Not for too long, though. We should be moving soon."

Hanley frowned in concern, "Are you in trouble? You're not dragging Luffy along, are you?"

"No, it's really the opposite. He wouldn't stay behind so I had to take him with me."

Luffy scowled at him, "You always leave and have these adventures. I wanna do some, too!"

"Maybe it's just as well, I guess," Ace muttered, politely declining a cup of tea.

'For what? I wanna know!' Hanley thought. She handed Master Thai a cup and looked at him expectantly.

"Garbage," Krut Thai grumbled as he tasted her tea, "you still have much to learn."

'What? It's not like you're paying me to do your housework!' Hanley thought as she snatched the kettle away.

"I'll make some more, damn old--"

"Yes?"

"Nothing, sir!"

Luffy laughed at her, "You're pretty slow, Hanley!"

'I'll kill you, too, kid.'

"Shut up, Luff--"

"Wahaha! I've finally found you!!" And then there was a loud explosion as something (wrecking ball, meteor?) smashed through the wall, filling the house with debris and dust. Hanley coughed and staggered back, rubbing the grit from her eyes.

"W-What the--?? What was that??"

Ace groaned and slapped his forehead.

"I was hoping to avoid this."

"Oh, Grampa," Luffy said, not even blinking at the destruction before him.

"'Grampa'??" Hanley sputtered, turning back to the giant hole in their wall.

'Oh, that's right, Master said he was stopping by.'

Monkey D. Garp was quite a large man, broad shouldered and deep chested. He was the only man Hanley had seen so far who was around Master Thai's size. Like Luffy, he had a rather distinct scar on his face, and his skin had that familiar look of someone who's spent a lifetime out on the ocean with prominent lines around his mouth and eyes. His shaggy hair and goatee were now predominantly gray, although you could still tell that his hair was originally black in color.

"I take that back," Hanley muttered as she stared upward at Monkey D. Garp, "Luffy's behavior _is_ genetic."

Garp idly brushed some dust away from his dark blue double breasted suit and grinned.

"Oi, it's been a while."

'He is not what I expected. What old man has biceps that large??' Hanley glanced at her Master, 'Oh. Well, it's still not normal!'

Krut Thai slowly stood, his face stony and tense.

"You," he began. Hanley cringed at the tone of his voice. Ace looked resigned and Luffy was...eating. Of course.

"IDIOT!" Hanley didn't even see Master Thai move. One moment he was standing still, the next he was a saffron blur, ramming his knee into Garp's sternum and sending him flying back outside.

"Look what you've done to my house!!! Are you fucking stupid??? Who told you to do that??? You had better pay to fix this, you FOOL!!!"

Garp flew back a bit before righting himself and landing on his feet. He smiled wildly and patted his chest.

"Bwaha! You hit hard as usual! That was a good entrance, wasn't it?"

Krut Thai sneered and stomped back inside.

"Here's another lesson, girl. There is no cure for complete and utter stupidity!"

Hanley squeaked, "R-Right, sir."

Garp calmly stepped through the hole he made and looked around.

"Oh, so you two are here after all! The people down the mountain said two kids passed through!" Hanley flinched when his eyes landed on her. She should probably say something.

"H-Hello, Monkey-sa--"

"Garp's fine!" he interrupted as he passed by her, "You must be Hanley. Makino's told me about you."

"Oh."

Garp stopped beside Luffy and easily picked him up by the scruff of his shirt.

"Not going to speak to your grandfather, boy?"

"Hey, Gramps," Luffy answered once he finished swallowing his food, "that was a cool entrance."

"I thought so! Wahaha, you should take notes!"

Hanley sat down beside Ace as they watched Luffy and Garp interact.

"There are two of them."

Ace nodded, "There are."

"I—I am horrified."

"I suppose I should have known better than to delay the inevitable."

"No, no, you did the best you could!" She wasn't that great at comforting, but she had to try.

"The island is only so big, but he can't stay here for too long so I thought..."

"I understand. You had to try."

"There is no escape, boy," Krut Thai muttered angrily.

Hanley looked at him, "How do you know him, Master Thai?"

"I try not to think about it."

"Oh, don't be like that, Krutty," Garp laughed and plopped down onto a floor mat.

Krut Thai snarled, "I hate that name, I've told you before."

"Oh, you have?"

Now Hanley just felt sorry for her master. Any enjoyment she could have gotten from his pain would have only felt empty.

Master Thai sighed, "Only several times in every conversation we've ever had."

"Hm. Really."

"Forget it."

"Already forgotten!"

"Naturally. Hanley, serve our new guest."

'What, with the tea you hate? There's a word for that kind of behavior.' Hanley could only shrug and do as she was told.

"You surprise me, old friend. I thought you hated teaching." If he hated the tea, he made no mention of it. Garp simply gulped it down and held out his cup for more.

"I do. But she's a curious specimen I'd like to keep my eye on."

"Specimen? I don't know much about that, but it's your choice!"

'I am right here, thank you.'

Garp gave a booming laugh.

"Well! If you've actually started teaching again I guess this means I should start training my grandson!"

Luffy looked up in excitement, "Really?? Ace never says what you two do!"

"That's because it's a secret, my boy! But now that you're old enough, I suppose I can also train you in my special regimen."

Hanley's eyebrows raised, impressed. That made sense. Ace was really strong for a ten year old, and Garp was just _massive_. Master Krut Thai treated him as if they were on the same level, so that said a lot about him. Maybe there was some family martial art or training.

"That's good news. Congratulations, Luffy," she said happily, smiling at him. Luffy returned her grin and faced his grandfather.

"I wanna start right now!"

Garp laughed, "Oh, you do? Wahahaha! That's the spirit! I'm on leave right now, so I have the time."

"This is gonna be great!"  
"Yes it will, Luffy. Yes, it will. Come with me." Garp gave his grandson a loving pat on the head and led him outside. Hanley followed, curious to see what would happen.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Ace muttered, catching up to her.

"So, what are we gonna do? We gonna start now?" Luffy asked, nearly bouncing from excitement. Garp smiled widely before promptly picking him up, his large hand easily cupping Luffy's head. He took a deep breath and reached back.

"What are you--!!!"

"Secret Technique of the Monkey Clan! Toss of Love!"

And he threw Luffy off the mountain, straw hat and all.

Hanley screamed and ran to the edge of the cliff, looking down until Luffy was out of sight. She stared down into the valley below, choking as she tried to verbalize the sheer horror she felt. He threw Luffy off a cliff!! Off. A. Cliff!! Hanley finally whirled around, red faced and glaring at Garp as fiercely as she could.

Not that he noticed.

"Are you insane???"

Garp gave a yawn and scratched his ear, "He said he wanted to start right now."

"_You threw your grandson off a cliff!!!_"

"The boy will be fine! He's made of rubber now, isn't he?"

Krut Thai snorted and rolled his eyes.

Hanley nearly ripped her hair out, "And if he wasn't????"  
"Ace pulled through just fine."

'Now it makes so much sense. What you must have lived through, Ace.'

"It would seem from your reaction that I might be too soft on you, Hanley," said Krut Thai, looking thoughtful.

She ran, screaming.

Garp turned to his old friend, "Children these days are soft, aren't they?"  
"They are indeed. Ace snuck out the back a while ago."

"Really? Wahaha! They'll be back...someday."

"Yes. Now fix my wall, you stupid bastard."

*

Hanley huffed as she sped down the mountainside. Eagle's Peak was surrounded by forests and other, smaller mountains on its northern and western sides, creating deep valleys and dangerous ravines. Thankfully, Master Thai hadn't forced her down there yet, but she still had some idea of where things were in relation to each other. Hanley didn't even want to think about the wildlife that could be using Luffy as a chew toy right at this moment. Luckily, from what she saw, Garp tossed Luffy at least somewhat close to the town of Eagle's Peak to the south. The forest was safer in that direction due to frequent human traffic. There was a chance he landed in some hidden ravine or some dangerous animal's mouth, but she had to check on him anyway.

"Luffy! Where are you??" she called. This place was insane! She had to get out of here as soon as humanly possible! She prayed to whatever god was watching Master Thai wouldn't get any ideas about tweaking her already hellish training regimen.

Hanley finally managed to get to the base of the mountain. Unlike the forests to the south, there was no convenient trail to follow in this direction. It was simply too much of a hassle to cut through the terrain this way; usually, travelers simply circled around the area altogether. It took longer, but there was much less risk. Now, not only did she have to find the kid, she had to stumble through who knows what to do it. Well, at least she could use the mountain to keep her bearings. Hanley peered through the dark undergrowth. There's nothing for it, she had to go in.

"Luffy, if you're alive, I'd like it if you answered me!"

"Should we split up?"

"What the he—okay, _how_ do you do that??"

Ace had somehow gotten ahead of her and was waiting patiently for her to catch up. He looked calm, so Hanley forced herself to take a deep breath as per the policy she had made last month.

"Do what?" he asked, pushing off the tree.

Hanley pouted, hands on her hips, "You're something else. Did Garp-san really train you like this?"

"Yeah, he has some weird ideas on toughening people up."

She could see that.

"Your grandfather frightens me. How in the world did you turn out normal?"

Ace gave her a wry grin and turned away, "I wouldn't say that I was normal, Hanley. Our situation is complicated."

"Oh. Well, I guess. I thought it was weird you and Luffy don't share the same family name. I mean, I didn't want to ask questions or anything..."

"I took my mother's name," Ace replied. He began to enter the forest, forcing her to race after him. "Luffy and I aren't as closely related as you think. But, well, I still feel responsible for him. He does that—well, you already know. You can't help but like him. You can't help but be with him. It's weird."

Hanley nodded. She understood that.

"Yeah, I do know."

"Why do you look after him? You scold him more than I do." Ace looked interested. He wasn't angry or irritated about her interference, he was wondering why she cared. Honestly, sometimes Hanley didn't know why she bothered. For one, Luffy didn't exactly listen very well. For another, she knew she probably shouldn't get so invested in the people in this world. Wouldn't she be leaving at some point? But she found herself doing it anyway.

"I...don't really know. I worry about him because he's an idiot. I was so scared when he got in trouble with Higuma. I didn't want to feel that way again. It was the same way I felt when I couldn't find my friends. When he protected me from the bandits, it really sank in, then."

Ace nodded, "Mm, I see. He saved me, too."

"Wow, really?" Hanley asked, her eyes widening, "What happened?"

"It's not important, and it was a long time ago. Besides, he probably doesn't remember it anyway."

"Oh..."

"Luffy will be fine. I don't know what that old man is thinking, but once I make sure Luffy's okay with this, I'm gonna leave it alone."

Hanley sputtered. She dashed ahead of him and stopped him in his tracks.

"He could get killed! He's seven years old, he has no business--"

"Hanley, this is to make him stronger. It'll be for the best."

"How?? How can throwing someone off a _cliff_ help?? Can't you talk to your crazy grandfather?"

Ace scowled a bit, "Oi, oi. It's the same reason you're training, right? You have to be tough, right?"

"Well, yeah, but--"  
"If this is what Luffy wants then that's the end of it. You wouldn't be able to do much about it anyway."

Hanley reddened in anger and she could feel her lips start to pull back into a snarl.

"I'm not saying to stop training, I'm saying don't throw him from high places--"

"It's already been decided."

"And stop interrupting me, dammit! It pisses me off!"

"Sorry."

Hanley growled and crossed her arms petulantly, "I should say something to Makino-san."

"Hey now, that's too much," Ace replied, his face smoothing as his irritation faded into amusement. He turned to look up at Eagle's Peak. "Hm, I think we're close to where he fell. Let's keep going."

"I guess."

"He'll be okay."

"He better."

"Haha, you really worry a lot."

"Oh shut up, Ace. You should worry more."

"Should I?" The question was obviously rhetorical.

"Oh whatever, let's change the subject."

"Okay, to what?"

"Um, well," Hanley hummed a bit before snapping her fingers, "I know! What's your favorite food?"

"My favorite food? Why? You gonna cook it?"

"If you want."

"Huh, really?"

"Sure! I'll fix it, alright," her voice darkened, making it sound as if she'd lace it with strychnine.

Ace laughed and turned to face her, "It's takoyaki. I can eat a lot of stuff, but I think that's my favorite so far."

"Takoyaki, huh? I like squid, myself."

"Like Squidy?"

"Shut up."

"You're the one that wants me to talk."

"Um, yeah, guess you're right." The conversation tapered off into comfortable silence. The forest was sweltering in the humidity, and she was going to lose it if she got bit by one more bug. She was already scratching her skin off.

"...Ace?"  
"Mm?"

"What's your mother like?"

"My mother?" His back was to her, so she couldn't see his expression. "My mother died giving birth to me."

"I--"

"Don't worry about it. She's done a lot for me." Ace grinned to show her that he wasn't upset, but Hanley still felt guilty.

"My mother died in childbirth, too," Hanley said, as if to make up for her earlier goof, "my father...well, I never knew my father."

Ace's expression became unreadable then. Hanley wondered uneasily if she was out of line.

"You shouldn't let that bother you," Ace finally answered. He stopped by the bank of the river, looking pensively into the water.

'Is he thinking about his father? He said he and Luffy aren't as closely related as I thought. They definitely don't have the same mother, so are they half brothers?'

Hanley sighed, "I know I shouldn't. But I've never seen him, and my grandparents could never say if he was alive or not, 'cause they never seen him either. Do you know what that's like? I used to get so mad since it was so unfair. What if my father knew about me and just didn't bother showing up? If the person who helped make you didn't care, then..."

"I like to think you make your own way. It's your father's problem, if that's the case."

"You think so?" Hanley stood next to him and looked out on the river. She really hoped Luffy didn't fall in there.  
"Sure. You have your own goals, remember?"

"I do, don't I?" Hanley smiled. "Oh, he did leave this, though. My freaky magatama."  
"Magatama?"

"Yeah. Here, have a look." She unhooked the chain and held it out for him to see. Ace reached over to pick it up, but he quickly dropped it back onto her palm with a hiss when it burned him. Hanley stared at it in confusion. Ace wasn't dangerous at all! Why did it do that?

"I guess it hates me. Heh, that's a neat trick."

"It shouldn't have hurt you at all, stupid thing. I'm sorry, I didn't think it would--"

"Don't worry about it," came the careless reply.

"Too late."

"It's fine," he held up his hand, "it didn't hurt that much, it just surprised me. In any case, we still have to find Luffy, right?"

"Yeah. Ugh, I hope he isn't moving around too much. It'll be that much harder to find him."

"I was thinking the same thing," Ace agreed, looking around, "well, it can't be—ha!" Hanley jumped and stared at him. That came from nowhere!

"What? What's so funny?"

Ace pointed to a spot behind her. Hanley turned and promptly growled. There was Luffy, dangling from a tree and fast asleep. His neck was wedged in the fork of the branch, and the only reason it wasn't broken was because he was made of rubber.

"Ace, I take it back."  
"Take what back?"

"I'll be ending his life myself. The next cliff we come to I'm pushing him off!" Ace just laughed at her and made his way over to the tree.

"I told you that you worry too much. You'll live longer if you don't!"

"Just get him out, will you?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

He climbed up the tree and easily walked out on the branch. Ace crouched down and knocked on Luffy's head.  
"Oi, Luffy. Wake up."

Luffy grunted and opened his eyes, "Oh, Ace. I'm stuck."  
"I can see that, hold on," Ace grabbed his head and began to pry it free, "how'd you get up here?"  
"I dunno."

Hanley stood under him and looked up, "Hey, are you okay, Luffy??"

"Hi, Hanley! Catch me!"

She grunted and stepped aside. Like hell she was.

Luffy yelped as he landed hard on the forest floor.

"Ow! Boo, Hanley!"

"I was worried about you and you were sleeping!"

"Yeah, got sleepy...so I slept."

"Geez," muttered Hanley. She spotted his hat in a bush nearby and went to fetch it. She carefully took it out and brought it to him. "Be more careful, this is your treasure."

"Right!" Luffy agreed, brightening when she placed it on his head.

Ace jumped down from the branch, landing easily on his feet.

"It'll only get tougher from here, Luffy. That old man can be ruthless," he warned.

"Mm...I guess it's okay. I have to get stronger, too!"

Hanley nodded, "Right, Mr. Pirate King."

"Shishishi, yup!"

"Matter of fact, there's something I wanted to teach you. Now's as good a time as any. It's called 'Hanuman Presents the Ring.'"

"Hanuman?"

"He's the Monkey God. I couldn't help but think of you when I learned it last week."

"Ooh, ooh, show me!"

"Okay, come over here and watch."

The technique was a quick uppercut that used both fists. She showed Luffy how to stand and how to use his legs to push upward to give it more power. The downside was that it left you open to attack, but with Luffy's abilities she figured he could make it work. Being that stretchy had its advantages.

"There! You're more like the Monkey God already!"

"Cool!" Luffy immediately started practicing on his own.

'He really got it faster than I did.'

"Does this mean you'll stop worrying?" asked Ace. Hanley gave him a look and put her hands on her hips.

"Maybe."

Ace grinned, "How about this: let's make a pact."

"A pact?"

Ace nodded and watched as his younger brother practiced his new technique. Luffy was now using his rubber band arms to lengthen the range of the attack.

"The three of us will become strong, in our own way. No matter what happens. Isn't that better? It's a lot less worrying that way."

"I see..."

"There are a lot of things you just can't help. So, why not do what we can with what we got? That's what I decided a long time ago. I can't help my mother dying, and I don't give a damn about my father—but I can train and become strong enough to be able to live in my own way. I want you and Luffy to be able to do the same, too."

'I wonder, are the three of you even related?'

Hanley took a deep breath and nodded. She turned her back to Luffy and held out her hand for Ace to shake.

"You're right. Okay then, let's become strong. I do need to get home."

"The due date will be seven years, okay? I'll be leaving the island then," Ace said, grasping her hand tightly.

"Deal!"

"I think I got it! Gomu Gomu no Hanuman!" Luffy threw out his arms wildly, sending them rocketing in an upward arc. His fists hit a nearby tree, leaving visible divots in the bark.

"Great, Luffy, let's head back," called Ace, heading northeast back toward Eagle's Peak.

"Okay! Don't be so slow, Hanley!"

Hanley snorted, rubbing her lower back.

"Oh shut up," she grumbled, furiously scratching her hip and lower back, "damn bugs. Let's hurry up before I'm eaten alive or lose more..." Hanley trailed off and examined her nails. Master Thai made her trim them, but she could see large bits of skin sticking out as if someone had taken a grater to her. It was horrifying, and Hanley had a hard time staying calm as she placed her right hand on her back. She could feel lines where she had vigorously scratched.

When she pulled off a large chunk of skin she nearly passed out.

"Oi, Hanley! What's taking so long?" Luffy called impatiently.

Hanley's vision swam and she had to catch her breath, "I—I'm losing skin!"

"You are? Can't you find it?"

Hanley shook her head and quickly raced to the riverbank. She twisted her body in an attempt to look at her back in her reflection, but the angle was awkward and the river wasn't that great of a mirror.

"What do you mean, 'losing skin'?" Ace asked, making his way over and looking concerned.

"I meant what I said! I'm losing skin!" her voice took on an hysterical note as her nail scraped against something smooth and hard. "There's something on my back!!"

"Stay still so I can see...um, I can look, can I?"  
"No, Ace, I was going to try to guess and make a game out of it."

"That's fine, but let me look anyway," he said calmly, ignoring her sarcasm.

Luffy was crowding Ace, trying to see what was going on.

"Lemme see, lemme see!"

"What is it, Ace?" Hanley snapped. When Ace hesitated Hanley feared the worse. "I'm dying, aren't I?"

"Uh, you're not _dying_, but we should take you back to Master Thai."

"Coooool!" Luffy cheered.

"...If he thinks it's cool I know I'm dying!"

"Can I touch it?? I wanna touch it! It looks slimy!"

"NO." She had had enough. She twisted her neck as far as it could go and moved her hip sideways. The movement was painful, but she managed to get a quick glance of the area. She couldn't believe her eyes.

It was a scale.

**********

Monkey D. Garp

"Waha! How's this, Krutty?" Garp asked, laying down his hammer and admiring his work. He's had a lot of practice fixing up things, and this was one of his better jobs if he said so himself.

"It looks like shit, but it will do until you pay for a carpenter. I needed to fix the house anyway," Krut Thai answered, "As a penalty, you'll be funding the repairs for the entire house."

"Oh? Well, that's fine!" Garp returned to his seat by the low table and picked up his tankard. Krut Thai didn't drink a lot of liquor—he was attempting to follow a proper lifestyle (even if he failed miserably in other aspects)—but the stuff he did have was high quality.

Garp had spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon repairing the hole he'd made, and the kids still had yet to return. If this kept up he'll probably have to look for them a couple of days from now.

"How's that girl of yours doing, Krutty?"

Krut Thai sneered and poured himself some more grog.

"She has very little talent. It's disappointing to a certain extent. Even Yura showed promise."

"Then why train her, if you feel that way?"

"Because it's not a complete waste. She may be a female, but I think she'll show me something yet."

"Wahaha, you're still an idiot as usual, Krutty!"

"Whom are you referring to as an 'idiot,' Garp?" Garp easily ignored his look and gulped down more alcohol.

"It's always woman this, and woman that with you! Even after all of these years Handerson still has you beat! Krutty's hilarious," Garp wiped his mouth and grinned at his old friend, "do you know if she's even alive?"

Krut Thai glared at him, red eyes practically glowing with ferocity before he looked away.

"No, I do not."  
"See? Waha, you haven't changed a bit. You just need a good woman, Krutty. Then again, you won't find a better woman than my late wife, so I understand your bitterness." The pride and smugness were clear in his voice.

Krut Thai only growled, clearly thinking about her.

"That crazy bitch."  
"Oi, oi. My wife was not crazy."

"...And...that's where you disagree with me. Fine."

Krut Thai looked to be pissed with him as usual, but the fact that he served Garp more grog said otherwise. Krut Thai was complicated, and it could be said that the reason they got along so well was because Garp couldn't be bothered to analyze or worry over the man's every move.

"How about we have a test?" Garp suggested.

Krut Thai's eyebrow raised, "A test?"

"There's no point in training if you don't have a test every now and then! What do you say?"

"Hmph. For once, you sound reasonable. Shall we make it a real time simulation?"

"Sure, sure. We can use my men! They should still be nearby and they have nothing better to do anyway! It'll be fun, bwahaha!"

"Very well," said Krut Thai, sighing heavily, "we will have a test. I would like to see how she does."

"Mm."

Krut Thai turned to his workbench and picked up an unfinished stone statue. He had the rough shape completed, but he was far from carving in the necessary features. He had finished statues all over the house and outside on the mountain.

"Hanley," Krut Thai began, "looks so much like her that I can barely stand to look at her some days. Sometimes I wonder if it will get worse."

"It's possible. What will you do then? The girl hasn't done anything, yet. I can't tell you what to do, but the girl's only herself and nothing more."

"Is that what you tell yourself when you look after that man's son?"

Garp grunted, "Ace is Ace, Luffy is Luffy. You're making things too complicated. Try not thinking, it works wonders, waha!"

"You would know, wouldn't you?" Krut Thai breathed heavily through his large, beak like nose and drained the last of his liquor, "I suppose it's my fault, for getting involved with a snake."

**********

Amano Hanley

In the last two months of her life, Hanley had experienced fantastic things: coming to a new world, sailing with pirates, fighting bandits, surviving Luffy's idea of a good adventure—experiences that, she thought, made her stronger. She honestly thought that she was making progress, that she was improving herself, even if it was only bit by bit.

But now, all of that work was now thrown into question. Amano Hanley, ten year old human girl from Hakube, was, essentially, shedding her skin—and she was two seconds away from a breakdown.

She was on her knees, leaning heavily on the palms of her hands and trying not to vomit. Whenever she was upset it went straight to her stomach, and she was desperately trying to keep down her breakfast because the last thing she wanted was to throw up in front of Ace of all people.

How could she go home like this?? How could she return to her world looking like a monster?? Her skin had pretty much come off around the area she had aggravated the most, but it would only be a matter of time before it spread. What then?? How much would she change? Why was she changing in the first place??

'It's so unfair! I finally had a plan, I was finally doing something and this happens!! What did I do?? Was I a bad person? I just—why me??'

Ace was saying something to her, but she couldn't really hear him over the roar in her ears. A scale. She had grown a _fucking_ scale and now she was a sideshow freak. The only one remotely enjoying himself was Luffy, who was bouncing around in excitement about having a crew member with scales and Hanley was this close to--

"So cooool! I wish I had them, Hanley! How many colors do you think you'll get?? This one's blue, maybe you'll have a rainbow--"

"Luffy..._**shut up now**_," she hissed, her fingers digging into the dirt. She didn't need reminding! That stupid little brat, didn't he understand her feelings??

Ace finally got her attention by grabbing her shoulder.

"Calm down, don't take it out on him."

"But--"

"You really shouldn't, 'cause I'll tell you right now that I won't put up with it. Then the both of us will be angry and Luffy wouldn't let it get to him anyway. So, calm down."

Hanley sniffled and leaned back onto the heels of her feet. She eyed her skin with no small amount of trepidation. What she thought was a rash was something else entirely. The scale was smooth and warm to the touch, growing out of her body like some odd sort of fingernail. Only on her back. Should she call it a "back-nail"?

'Oh what the hell am I thinking I'm losing it!'

What would happen if she went home? They'd lock her up! They'd poke and prod her and she didn't want to become a science experiment! What was she going to do??

"I can't go home like this," Hanley whispered, "did I do all this for nothing?" Ace didn't answer her, but Luffy paused in his cheering and sat in front of her.

"Oh, Hanley's really upset!"

And what was his first clue?

Luffy crossed his arms, "That's no good, Hanley! You got scales now!"

"That's the point, Luffy. I don't want them," Hanley sighed. She rubbed her face and finally looked up from the ground.

He was stretching his cheeks and sticking his tongue out at her.

Hanley stared, baffled, before looking at Ace. Ace merely shrugged.

"Uh, Luffy?"

"Oh, that didn't work? How about this?" Luffy pulled his cheeks downward this time, stretching them to comical proportions, "Or this? Or this? Or this?" He continued to push his face into several different expressions, and Hanley was forced to ignore her issues long enough to try to make sense of the kid in front of her.

"Um, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Making Hanley feel better! You're tough, though. Maybe you're too lazy to laugh--"

"Don't call me lazy!"

"Shishishi, you're better already!"

'I'm yelling at you. Ugh, what does that say for our relationship?'

Luffy stopped twisting his face and looked at her with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

"Sorry, Hanley."

Hanley blinked and frowned in confusion, "What are you sorry for?"

"You're my nakama, but I can't really help you at all."

"Help me..."

"I asked 'bout those places you wanna go. Not even the Mayor's heard of them. I wanna help you go to the Rundown place. And Pears, and Merryca. You want to go to Holyfood and get stuff for your Grampa, right? But no one's heard of them and I can't help you get there right now. That's why you're sad, right?"

'Rundown? Pears? Is he talking about London and Paris? He really listened to me?'

"I believe they're real, though, 'cause they're your dreams, right? I don't get it, why can't you go home like you want to? We'll help if you want," Luffy continued. He spoke plainly and sounded as if Hanley's going home was just inevitable. Why should she just give up going home because she grew a scale or two?

"You think so?" Hanley asked, eyes filling with tears.

"Yup! Hanley's still alive, isn't she?"

Living here was the hardest thing she had ever done, and she often she compared this place to Hakube. It wasn't even Earth, and when Hanley first dropped in on this ocean, she had a hard time getting over that. She had a hard time realizing that whatever dreams and wishes she made for herself had a good chance of going unfulfilled; the places she had wanted to go, the things she had wanted to do were now, literally, quite out of reach. Those thoughts, combined with the threat of never seeing her loved ones ever again made it very hard to get up some days. It was a situation that, at the end of the day, was horribly, horribly depressing.

However, she wasn't going to let it get to her, not this time. She wasn't going to let herself backslide after two months of grueling hard work. She didn't have that luxury when there was still a small chance she could get back. Hanley had no choice but to move forward.

Hanley wiped her hand clean of dirt and placed it on Luffy's head. She slid her fingers under his hat and slowly ruffled his disheveled hair. Why worry about the details? Her grandparents will love her anyway, she was sure. She could go around in a trench coat and a hat for the rest of her life if need be. Hanley couldn't really describe how this made her feel, but regardless, it was something that had to be dealt with. Besides, maybe this was some weird aftereffect? Who's to say she wouldn't become normal back in the real world, right? She couldn't give up on the off chance that everyone back home _might_ hate her. She'll just tell this to herself over and over and _dammit_ it'll become true.

"Sometimes, Luffy, you really say some smart things," Hanley told him softly. Luffy smiled widely in response.

"What are you planning on doing?" Ace asked.

"Well, I want to cry," Hanley answered, her voice already growing thick, "but...but after that I'm going to ask Master Thai for more training. This doesn't change anything."

Ace laughed softly, causing Hanley to look at him.  
"What?"

"Nothing. I'm just glad you aren't going to break your promise already."  
"What? No. A promise is a promise. Let's grow strong."

"Yeah, let's."

"Yosh! We'll kick ass!" Luffy said, standing and marching forward, "Straight ahead to Eagle's Peak!"

"It's the other way, Luffy."

"Oh, yeah, I knew that."

Hanley finally laughed and stood. She brushed the dirt from her knees and pointed.

"Luffy, just head that way."

"Yosh!" He stretched his arms and grabbed a branch, "I'll get there really fast! Look at what I can do!"

"Hey, watch out for that--" Hanley winced when he crashed, "--tree. Oh, well, he'll be fine."

Ace nodded, "Probably."

*

Hanley slowed down and almost hid behind Ace as they finally returned to Krut Thai's home. Hanley could see that the massive hole Garp left was patched up. She flinched a bit when Master Thai came out to greet them, followed by Garp. What would he say when he saw her? Hell, he's probably already mad that she took off without permission.

"There you are! I was about to leave you!" Garp greeted cheerfully.

"I know," Ace answered, not sounding too surprised that Garp would have left them in the wild during the night.

Krut Thai rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Are you finished, girl?"

'Yeah, he's mad.'

"Um, there's something I should tell you, Master Thai," Hanley said, squirming. Master Thai raised an eyebrow.

"Well, spit it out."

"Actually, maybe I had better show you."

"Hurry up, girl."

"It's just--"

"You have two seconds."

'Why is he such a scary bastard??' Hanley thought. She turned around and lifted her shirt slightly, enough to expose the damaged skin on her back.

"Is that--??" Krut Thai marched forward and knelt to get a closer look.

"Oh ho, things have gotten more interesting!" Garp exclaimed, scratching his beard.

Luffy grinned, "Isn't it coooool?" Hanley couldn't help but think that it was a little odd that he was _sparkling_ at her.

"Do you know what's going on, Master?" asked Hanley, worried when he didn't say anything.

Krut Thai slowly stood, glaring at the scale with so much hatred that she found herself cringing.

"_Snake_."

Hanley froze then and there.

'He really hates them! I didn't think he hated them so much!'

"I see. So it is like that," Krut Thai snarled to himself, glaring off to the side. He was practically seething, and Hanley was simply too scared to move. When he looked at her once more, Hanley flinched and took a step back. He wasn't going to hit over something that wasn't her fault, was he?

That thought must have shown on her face, as Master Thai hesitated when he saw the look she gave him.

"Girl, I wasn't going to..." He trailed off, looking uncomfortable. He looked as if he were going to finish what he was going to say, but instead he turned and headed back inside. "It would be best if you stayed with Garp and his charges tonight."

"Master..." Hanley whispered. What just happened? She looked over at Garp and her friends. Ace was scowling, and Luffy was, well, blank faced, closely watching Krut Thai as the man entered his home and slammed the door shut.

The clearing was filled with a tense silence before Garp sighed and looked at her.

"Well, come on. We'll be staying down in Eagle's Peak. They just finished rebuilding the inn."

"Yes, sir," Hanley said, moving to follow them. She reached back and lightly touched the scale. She gave it a tap and pressed her nail against it. Her nail slid under the surrounding skin, and she could make out more under there as well.

"Don't take it so personally, Hanley," Garp said, breaking the silence as they made their way to the base of the mountain, "it goes a long way back, before any of you were born. Wahaha, even when I had no gray hair!"

Luffy's eyes widened, "Eh? I thought you always had gray hair!"

"Silly, of course he had black hair once," Ace answered. He turned back to Garp, "I'm guessing he doesn't like snakes."

"Mm. It was because of a woman--"

"Handerson, am I right?" Hanley interrupted.

"Oh ho, so he's told you her name at least. Handerson was a wild woman, I remember her well. The Marines had an awful time with her."

"Master loved someone like that?"

"It was because she was that way that he loved her. For someone like Krutty, her free lifestyle was interesting. In the end, it didn't turn out well."

Ace crossed his arms, "Well, what happened, old man?"

"I don't know all the details, only that she took the life of his master and tried to kill him as well. Handerson vanished soon after."

"O-Oh..." Hanley murmured.

'Such a dangerous person could still be around? And he never really answered why Master Thai hates snakes. I remember he said Handerson was a snake worshiper, but what does _that_ even mean?'

"That man up there isolated himself from shame. Well, it's your choice what you want to do from here on, Hanley," Garp continued. Hanley nodded and twisted her hands in her shirt.

"Oh, and that was supposed to be a secret," he added. Ace sighed and Hanley slapped her forehead.

'Then why tell me about his crappy love life??'

They let her have her own room that night, not that Hanley made much use of it. She found herself laying awake, thinking about the past two months and what just happened. Master Thai looked so, well, she had never seen him so mad before. He wasn't even that upset when Yura burned down Eagle's Peak (although, thinking about it, he really should have been). Hanley often touched her scale, wondering if such a thing would mean that Master wouldn't train her anymore.

'Will he even care? I don't know what to do.'

She was already down in the dining room when Ace and Luffy joined her the next morning. Hanley let Luffy take her food without complaint, still upset and not up to eating. She had noticed that once the initial skin had come off, it was now shedding even faster than before. It was gross and upsetting, but she had other things to pull her hair out over.

"I wonder what I'm going to do, Ace. I might not even have a teacher anymore," she said quietly.

"You think so?" Ace asked, already halfway through his breakfast.

"I dunno. I'm going to go back up later today. I'll figure out something."

"Maybe--"

The innkeeper approached with a letter and a small leather pouch.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I just received a message from Master Krut Thai. Which one of you is Hanley?"

Hanley blinked and held up her hand. She took the note and pouch from the innkeeper and opened the piece of parchment. She had never actually seen Master Thai's handwriting before, but somehow she didn't think it'd be this sloppy.

"Wha's it say?" Luffy asked, mouth full.

"Um, I'm supposed to deliver this to some Green Harbor place?"

Ace took a look at the parchment and sighed.

"Oh, I see."  
"Eh?"

"Nothing. Green Harbor's a port town directly east of here. It's not a long trip, only an hour walk."

Hanley bit her lip and placed the items down on the table.

"I don't understand, why would he want me to do this after what happened yesterday?"

"Mystery! Mystery! It doesn't matter, Hanley, it's another adventure!" Luffy cried, sounding thrilled.

Hanley stared at the letter before nodding decisively. As it stood, she was just glad everything seemed to be back to normal: he ordered her around and she did his bidding. She was more than ready to forget and not think about what happened yesterday. Maybe he still had to think about stuff and didn't want her coming back just yet.

"Okay, I guess we better get going, then. Um, do we need to tell your grandpa?"

"He's still sleeping, he'll be fine," Luffy answered, pretty dismissive. Obviously he was more concerned about seeing a new place than whether he worried his grandfather to death.

Not that Garp seemed the type to worry over something.

Still, Hanley insisted they leave a message with the innkeeper, and when that was taken care of, Ace lead them south from the town and onto the highway headed east. Green Harbor was, apparently, far more robust than Fuschia Village, as the larger harbor allowed for more trade. It mostly dealt with exporting luxury items constructed from a certain kind of wood from nearby forests. That didn't give her more of an idea _why_ Master Thai was sending her that way, and she definitely wasn't going to open the pouch and risk making him mad.

As they traveled further east, the landscape slowly transformed from rolling green hills to thick forests. Hanley wasn't an expert on plant life, but even she could tell there was a difference between these trees and the ones below Eagle's Peak. Ace pointed out the sprawling wood, signaling that they were very close to Green Harbor.

"You've must've been everywhere, Ace," Hanley said, impressed.

"Not everywhere. The island's not that big, though. It's good practice for my navigating skills anyway."

'He's always training and trying to better himself,' Hanley thought, feeling a little envious, 'they're all so confident. But I can do that too. I won't let them beat me.' She took took the pouch from her pants pocket and looked at it for what had to be the tenth time that hour. She'll figure something out.

Green Harbor was situated on a slope that ended in a natural harbor. As such, the town was tiered, almost like it was one half of a large stadium, and each step had a multitude of flowered terraces. It was very pretty, and with the surrounding landscape Hanley could see why they called it Green.

Once they entered the town, Luffy was practically bouncing in excitement. While it wasn't as big as Eagle's Peak, it was far more lively due to the ships coming in and out of the harbor. They inevitably brought all kinds of people with them, as Green Harbor was also a good place to stock up on supplies.

"Can we go there? How 'bout there? Can we--"

"In a bit, let's do this first," Ace interrupted before he got too worked up and ran off.

The letter directed her to a small shop off the main road, halfway down an old, stone staircase that led to a dead end terrace. The shop, "Marxby's," was very dim on the inside and smelled strongly of sandalwood, as if the shop owner had put on a bunch of incense at the same time. The many shelves and tables were filled with curious objects from different places in East Blue, almost to the point of overflowing, and if Hanley had the money she would have liked to shop here for a bit.

Luffy, naturally, began poking objects first thing. He took two ceramic chopsticks and stuck them up his nose.

"Look, Hanley!"

Hanley let out a bark of laughter before she could stop herself. As funny as that looked, she didn't want to get caught with messing up the merchandise when she didn't have the money to pay for them. She waved her hand at him.

"Luffy, take those out! And wipe them off while you're at it—not on your shirt!"

"Wow, what's this?"

Hanley sighed. She left Ace at a bookshelf and approached the counter.

"Hello?" she called. She jumped when she heard a loud crash from the room beyond, and a tall man with shabby robes and wild blue hair stuck his head out.

"U-Uh, hello?" he responded, glancing around. Hanley blinked. He was clearly agitated—was this the guy she was supposed to see?

Hanley placed the leather pouch on the counter, "Are you Marxby?"

"Yes! Yes, I am. H-How can I help you?"

'You shouldn't be a shopkeeper if your customers scare you so easily.'

"Um, I'm here to make a delivery for Master Krut Thai. You know about it, right?"

Marxby blinked and took the pouch. He opened it and his eyes practically lit up.

"Oh, yes, I remember now! Master Thai's an old—uh—customer of mine. I'll just take this off your hands," he quickly stuffed the pouch into his robes and picked up a sack from below the counter, "I have to make a trip to the bank, so do me a favor and lock the door behind you. Thanks, kids!"

"Um..." Hanley muttered as he exited the shop. That was weird.

"Is it just me, or was that suspicious?" asked Ace.

"Yeah, it was a little strange..."

Ace sighed and scratched his head, "I thought so. This is a test."

"A what?"

"That letter. That's that old man's handwriting. I thought it was weird he was using Master Thai's name, but I wanted to see why he was making us come out here."

"A test?" Hanley muttered thoughtfully. This wasn't much of a test. Making a delivery?

Maybe there was something more to it than this? If it was a test, there had to be more. Maybe Master Thai was in on it, too? Hanley decided to check out the rest of the store just in case. She circled around the counter and peeked inside the same room Marxby came out of.

"Shit! Guys, give me a hand!" On the floor was a short, thick set man who looked to be in his fifties. His arms and legs were bound tightly and he had a gag stuffed in his mouth. The moment he saw her he began to struggle and shout. Hanley cursed and kneeled beside him and tugged on the ropes.

"Give me a sec. Damn, he tied these tight!"

"What's going on, Hanley?" Ace asked, rushing in, Luffy close behind.

"Who's this guy?"

Hanley shook her head, "Can one of you guys get me a knife?" While they were doing that, she carefully untied the gag. He exhaled, clearly relieved.

"Thank you, child, I thought it was going to be a while before someone found me."

Ace began sawing through the thick ropes, "You're the real Marxby, aren't you?"

"Well, yes. I was held up by a--"

"Argh!! And I gave him Master Thai's package!!" Without thinking, Hanley stood and dashed past Luffy and Ace, vaulted over the counter, and sprinted to the door.

"Wait, Hanley!" Ace called, "Don't go by yourself!"

Hanley ignored him and ran out of the store. That son of a bitch! He played her and stole from her! When she found him she was going to give him a beating, to hell with the test! Or maybe that was the test? It didn't matter, if there was an off chance that leather pouch belonged to her master, she had to get it back!

'Dammit! That guy had a huge head start! Where would he go?'

It wasn't quite a city, but Green Harbor had its fair share of tall buildings and confusing streets and side streets. If he left town, or even ducked into some hole-in-the-wall bar, she'd never find him. Hanley stopped to catch her breath and looked around. The tall stone buildings all ran together, and each cobbled road looked like the other. The crowds were thick, far thicker than what she was used to and didn't spare her a glance. She wouldn't find anyone like this.

Hanley traveled down the main street, which was a large, cobbled road that sloped and curved downward straight to the harbor. She poked her head into every meat shop, bakery, and candlestick shop she came across, but no one could tell her anything. A man with worn robes and a large sack accounted for a large part of the population. Hanley shook her head and began to make her way down a set of stairs. She had slowly made her way east to the harbor, and it sprawled before her, nearly full to capacity. Dammit, this could not be happening!

Hanley bypassed the last set of stairs and jumped over the side, landing easily on her feet. All that walking on the mountain paid off, at least. The harbor was full of people and cargo; it was even more chaotic and confusing than the town itself.

'I don't see him, why did I run after him like this, it's not like I can do anything!' she thought, running her fingers through her hair.

Hanley walked along the wharf, but she didn't have much hope for finding him. She was mostly overlooked by the large men loading and unloading ships. None of them even closely resembled the one she was looking for. The wharf itself, even without all of these people moving to and fro, was quite large, making full use of the natural harbor that protected this stretch of water. She'd have to be damned lucky to find him.

"Dammit...Master Thai's package, I can't believe I gave it up to such a suspicious guy! How am I going to explain this off! Man!" Hanley ranted in frustration. She came to a stop on one of the piers and looked around. Shit, nothing for it, she was going to have to find her way back and help the real Marxby.

That was the plan until she spotted a small rowboat in the water, heading toward a sloop anchored further out. Hanley shielded her eyes from the sun and gasped. There! He had three other guys with him, but there he was!

"Hey!!! You damned thief!! Give it back!!" she shrieked, practically hopping up and down in anger. Her voice had somehow made its way out to them, as the blue haired thief turned and looked at her. He seemed to tell his cronies about her, but they waved her off and kept going.

Son of a _bitch_.

"Shit, okay, what would Ace or Luffy do?" Hanley asked herself. After a moment, she kicked off her shoes and began to dash down the pier, "Like I even need to ask! This place has driven me nuts!"

The pier was long, and they were already far out into the water.

'But I can catch them, I know I can catch them!' Hanley remembered that time months ago in Fuschia, when she fell in the water. She had shot forward like a bullet, and although she hadn't tried to swim since then, she wasn't going to let that stop her. She didn't know what was happening to her, but in the end, did that really matter?

Her bare feet slapped against the concrete, propelling her toward the water. She didn't have many talents, but if there was one thing she could do, one thing she picked up better than anyone else, was swim.

Hanley dove into the water.

The difference was noticeable immediately. She slid through the water easily, not nearly as affected by the resistance like she was back home. Now that she knew what was going to happen, she could adjust.

'Okay, my legs move me forward, steer with my shoulders and arms--'

The water was murky on the surface, but underneath Hanley was surprised at how well she could see. She could even see the bottom of the harbor, littered with trash, debris, and coated with seaweed and algae. But now wasn't the time for that. She picked out the boat and dove deeper, keeping it within her sights. When she was deep enough, she paused.

'Ramming speed...' Hanley kicked with both legs and shot upward, keeping her arms pressed against her sides to make herself more streamlined. Ignore her, will they? Make her a victim _again_, will they??

"Elbow Strike!" At the last possible moment, she whipped her right arm around and smashed her elbow into hull of the boat. The energy carried over from her momentum transferred from her elbow to the wood, causing it to buckle under the blow. She felt the wood splintering under her arm, but her arm felt fine. Two months of beating on banana trees seemed to have really made the difference.

The boat shook, and despite the hole, it didn't tip over. Hanley quickly brought her feet upward and pulled her knees back to her chest.

'Capsize already!' she thought angrily, kicking the boat with both heels. That did it. Two of the men lost their balance and fell off the side, causing the boat to tip with them when they tried to grab on to it. Hanley used her arms to push herself away from the falling men and their loot. Her jaw dropped when she saw the amount of stuff that was in the sacks. Gold, jewels, and other luxury goods began to sink down to the bottom of the harbor.

'Shit, Master Thai's pouch better not be in that!' Hanley growled to herself and swam around the struggling men, looking for the one that stole form her. She spotted him easily—he was swimming desperately toward their sloop. It didn't take much to overtake him, and when he saw her he panicked and took out a large hunting knife from his belt. Hanley gulped a bit at the sheer size of it and hesitated.

'No, we're in the water, he can't beat me in here. Besides, it's just a test.' He swung wide; however, it was so slow she merely kicked the blade out of his hand and sank her fist into his face. Blood spurted out and quickly colored the water, but Hanley ignored it and grabbed the man's collar and pulled him to the surface.

"Where is it?? Master Thai's package! Gimme it!" She shouted, shaking him a bit.

The man held up a hand in surrender while the other dug into his robes.

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry, please forgive me!"

Hanley smiled when he pulled the pouch out, quickly snatching it from his grasp.

"Thank you, that's all I wanted," she kneed him in the gut, "bastard!" She tossed him aside, beaming. Good, and whatever was inside was still there, she could feel it. Hanley placed the pouch in her teeth and began to swim back to shore. She ignored the people coming out to collect the robbers and headed to the pier she leaped off from. Hanley reached the end and pulled herself from the water, feeling pleased with herself.

'I did it! I really did it!' She felt so much safer in the water!

Too bad there wasn't any on Eagle's Peak.

Hanley collected her shoes and all but skipped down the wharf towards the stairs. Now to get back to the boys and--

"That wasn't bad at all, girl," a man to her left spoke suddenly. Hanley turned and blinked. He was slender, with a red and white striped shirt and bandanna on his head. He wore loose, green trousers and old, worn boots. But what really got her attention was the flintlock pistol tucked in his belt.

"Excuse me?" she whispered, already bringing her arms up to guard.

"Do you know how long it took us to get that loot?"

'Wait--'

Hanley quickly blocked the haymaker with her left elbow and responded with a roundhouse kick to his gut. He grunted and staggered back. Seeing that she took him by surprise, she lunged forward, not wanting to give him any time to recover and hurt her.

Hanley managed to punch him twice in the stomach before he knocked her back and whipped his pistol from his belt. She staggered backward, but moved no further when his finger tightened on the trigger.

"Shit..." she whispered.

"Who do you think you're hitting, stupid brat??" he growled.

'He's not going to shoot, not out in the open like this, right??' Hanley thought, barely containing her panic. She saw a shadow suddenly fall on the man and she glanced upward. Her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets.

"Master??"

"Wha--" Krut Thai landed on him with a thunderous crash. The force of the wind alone sent her tumbling back, end over end, until she landed on her back.

"M—Master," Hanley croaked, slowly sitting up. Her eyes bugged out even further at the size of the crater he left in the concrete, "Master Thai! Did you have to use your knee???"

Krut Thai blinked and slowly stood. He reached down and grabbed the man's head, idly lifting his limp form.

"Well, I didn't want him to move afterward, hm?"

'So. _Scary_.'

Master Thai sighed, "I see you're already causing trouble, Hanley."

"Wahaha! That was a good shot, Krutty!" Garp called from the level above. Hanley looked up and saw him grinning widely, with Luffy and Ace by his side. When did they get here??

Hanley winced, "B-But his spine! And you damaged the wharf!"

"Oh, that? Well, he can now live a peaceful life," Krut Thai calmly scratched his five o'clock shadow, "and I will be forgiven."

'Why? _**Why???**_'

"You did even better than expected!" Garp said as he leaped down to join them.

"So it really was a test?" Hanley asked, relieved, "I thought so! So it wasn't really dangerous, right?" That poor sap Master Thai attacked must have been someone else. She was just unlucky to run across him.

Krut Thai sneered at Garp, "Hey now, you mean to tell me you went ahead and set something up?"

"Why not, we agreed we would! And it worked out fine! I'm more impressed with my men! I didn't even recognize them in those costumes!"

"What did you cook up anyway?"

Garp smiled widely, "Show him, Hanley."

Hanley nodded and held out the pouch for Master Thai to see. He reached out and carefully took it from her grasp and opened it. His eyes widened.

"This is--!" A small, green piece of jadeite dropped into his palm, shaped into a man with shaven head and wearing the simple robes of a Buddhist monk.

"Jizo?" Hanley said, confused.

"Huh? Who's Jizo?" asked Luffy.

"He's a guardian. My grandma believes that he looks over children, 'specially those who have died before their parents," she answered. Master Thai stared at the small statue in his hand, face unreadable.

'No wonder that thief tried to steal it! Jadeite is expensive!'

"Jizo, huh? Is that why you have a bunch of those in your house, Master Thai?" Ace said.

Master Thai spent a lot of their evenings at his workbench, working different pieces and sizes of stone into various representations of Jizo. Hanley had never thought about it before. She just figured it was a quirk and she was too scared to ask; however, it really was curious. Why would Master Thai create Jizo's image over and over? There were other guardians—but he made Jizo's image specifically.

Hanley took a deep breath, "Master--"

They all turned when a voice cleared behind him. The newcomer was a tall man in uniform with a dark brown fedora covering his eyes.

Garp idly picked his nose, "Oh, Bogart! So you must have set this up, you're reliable as always."

"Actually, Vice-Admiral, I came to tell you that there have been some delays and we weren't able to follow your orders," Bogart bowed deeply, "you have my sincerest apologies, sir."

It took all of three seconds for it to sink in.

"So...it wasn't a test?" Hanley whispered. Ace laughed and looked sheepish.

"Oh, hey, I guess I was wrong."

"Hm, that's why I don't know who those guys are," Garp muttered, "think we should arrest them, Bogart?"

"I would assume so, sir."

"T—Then those guys really were trying to kill me?" Hanley continued weakly.

Ace nodded, "Seems like it."

Garp crossed his arms and laughed loudly.

"Bwahaha! That's pretty funny!"

"Hey, why is Hanley curled up on the ground like that?" asked Luffy.

"Do you think she's hungry?"

"Oh! Hanley, do you need some meat? You can have some of mine, but not a lot, okay?"

'There is no place like home. There is no place like home. _There is no place like home_.'

"Stand up, girl," Krut Thai rumbled, handing his victim off to the Marines, "you're alive, aren't you?"

Ace grinned, "We saw what you did, Hanley. It was good."

She blushed and scratched her cheek.

"Well!" Garp said, "We should be going, you two!"

Hanley blinked, "Wait, what?"

"It's another reason for my visit. I'm taking them to an old friend of mine for training."

Hanley could already feel her throat tighten. But, no way! They just got here and they were already leaving to who knows where??

"Eh?? We are??" Luffy cried.

'Guess it was news to him, too.'

"You love your surprises, don't you old man?" Ace grumbled, "Well, can't be helped, I guess."

Hanley's face fell at that. He could put up more of a fight, jerk.

Ace continued, "Well, it doesn't change anything. Right, Hanley?" He held out his hand. Luffy blinked before holding his out as well, smiling widely. Hanley felt her lips twitch and soon she was grinning like an idiot despite her efforts.

"Yes, you're right!" She grabbed both of their hands, "We're growing strong."

"January 1st."

"Eh?"

"That's my birthday. I'll be leaving Fuschia in seven years from then. You'll be there, right?"

"Wow, you really don't waste time. Well, of course I'll be there! Just you wait!"

"Great, it'll be fun."

Krut Thai crossed his arms, "And what's this, girl?" Hanley bit her lip and turned to face him once more.

"I, you see, well--"

"If you want to catch up to those two, we'll have to get started right away," Krut Thai interrupted, sighing. Hanley stared at him in shock.

"You mean it?"

"I said so, didn't I?"

"B—But, my scale. I thought you hated snakes."

Krut Thai looked briefly uncomfortable before shrugging.

"It can't be helped, girl. I'm willing to overlook that flaw."

"And I'm willing to overlook yours!"

"Hey now," he grumbled, but he didn't look angry. In fact, he almost looked peaceful—for once. The tiny statue of Jizo was clutched firmly in his grasp. Hanley didn't really understand what it meant, or why Garp gave it to him, but at that moment she was really happy.

Really, really happy.

"We will resume your training immediately. First we must go to the Middle River."

Hanley tilted her head to the side, "Middle River, Master?"

"It's a large river not far from here. We must train you to resist the impulse to blink. In battle, that is very important."

"Oi, isn't Middle River infested with leeches?" Ace asked.

Hanley grew pale.

"No matter. Afterwards I want to start you on weight training. We'll start small, but I plan to have you climbing Eagle's Peak with twice your weight by the beginning of Autumn."

"Ooh, lucky, Hanley!" Luffy cried.

'There is no place like home.'

**********

Krut Thai

Hatred came as easily to Krut Thai as breathing. It was familiar and easy for him—a fire that was constant and nearly unquenchable. As long as he could control it, Thai felt no need to address it. Although, to be honest, there were many times he came close to unleashing his hatred upon the girl. Her eyes were the worst; because every time she looked at him he was sent back to his youth where he was stupid and foolish.

Perhaps he was still foolish.

In hindsight, maybe what happened to the girl should not be so surprising. He would expect no less from those snake worshipers. The girl was simply showing outside what he already knew their species to be capable of. No doubt if Handerson saw her she would be pleased beyond all measure.

However, he will wait.

Krut Thai sat alone in his house, staring at the object in his hand. The magatama glinted softly in the lamplight. His pipe all but dangled from his lips, but he could not be bothered to adjust it.

"I know you," he spoke softly. It began to burn then, to the point where his skin began to crackle from the heat and smoke drifted up from the wound. He noted the pain with a detached air. Let the damn thing throw as many tantrums as it wanted.

"What do you think you're doing? How far are you going to go? Perhaps you should have let her stay where she was." Krut Thai finally tilted his hand and make the magatama lose contact with his skin. It fell to the worktable with a clatter. He stood and made his way to the stairs. It was late at night, and Hanley was already in bed. The house itself was only one story, excluding the attic, despite its size—he would have never fit indoors otherwise.

Krut Thai poked his head through the hole in the floor, easily picking out his student in the darkness.

She was dead asleep, curled up with that silly stuffed squid she received at the festival. Out of the water she had no natural talent to speak of. Most days he wondered what the fuck he was thinking to take her in, especially since he was so emotionally invested in her. But occasionally, like her performance today, he was reminded of her potential and knew he would be doing her a disservice if he denied teaching her. His lips drew back in a sneer the more he thought of it.

"Still, a snake. The girl would be a snake." The fire of his hatred flared at the mere thought of such vile creatures. "Kadru Handerson, you complete and utter bitch."

**********

To be continued


	7. Cuckoo's Nest

Hello, all! It's been a while but here's a new chapter for you to enjoy. I'd like to give special thanks again to Spellcaster Hikaru who looked this over for me and offered feedback. I'd also like to thank those who reviewed, old and new! I love you guys!

Also, I should have done this before, but I'd also like to thank those that simply put this on their favorites or alerts. I appreciate y'all, too! ;-)

Now, I'll keep this short and sweet since I'm pretty sure you're not here for the author's note XD.

**Warnings: None**

_Hanley_

Chapter Six: Flying Over the Cuckoo's Nest

**********

Amano Hanley

Hanley slipped on a pair of thick, leather gloves and reached down to examine her find. It was clearly old, as the brass had become tarnished and was on the verge of crystallizing, but she figured Marxby might like it. He had an interest in nautical instruments, particularly ones that had fallen out of style, so the mariner's astrolabe she picked up should get her more money than usual. She placed it in her sack and continued to dig in the wreckage. The harbor was old and had been in use for a long time, so there was quite a bit of junk and forgotten loot down here. No one really bothered salvaging unless the lost cargo was expensive, precious, or in the way, leaving Hanley free rein to take what she wanted.

Hanley came to Green Harbor fairly often—she had to if she wanted any kind of spending money. Master Thai was as stingy as he was grumpy, and after providing food and the necessary amount of clothing, he essentially told her she was on her own. Hanley was forced to quickly find a means of getting petty cash, as it occurred to her that it would be really important since she was going to have to travel in the future. Master Thai, surprisingly, was actually the one to point her in the right direction; after all, he made a reference to her lack of talent on land on a daily basis. It wasn't too hard to take that one step further and recognize the backhanded comment for what it was. Once she put some thought into her new abilities, she had managed to make a niche for herself as a salvor for Green Harbor. While Hanley wasn't sure if she was all that good, she was certainly a cheaper and quicker alternative to hiring a salvage tug and crew. Her skill in swimming turned out to be pretty useful—she was fast and could stay under water for a long period of time. Provided the job wasn't too large or required her to fix a ship, she did okay and was paid relatively well for the time she put in. On Sunday, her off day, Hanley also hired herself out as an assistant to the harbor salvors that actually dealt with clearing wreckage or tugging ships to the nearby dry-dock. It wasn't quite a business, as Master Thai's training took priority and she couldn't really devote the time necessary to learn specialized salvage methods, but it certainly kept her busy enough.

In the end, as time went on and she adjusted to the lifestyle, Hanley found she really liked it here.

Overall, fear for her health and life aside, she _liked_ training with Master Thai—dare she say it, she also cared deeply for the man himself. She liked coming down the mountain and traveling to Green Harbor. She found her work interesting and it gave her a real feeling of accomplishment. And after several years, everyone had pretty much gotten used to the girl covered in scales, to the point they didn't even look twice at her when she visited the shops.

Well, she still got looks from visitors, but it wasn't anything she couldn't handle even if she did feel a little self-conscious about it.

Which pretty much brought her to her present dilemma. Hanley gave the area one last look-over before giving a sharp kick to propel her to the surface. She swam to the end of a pier and hauled herself out of the water. Some of the men from the docked ships gave her a look, but they quickly went back to their duties.

"Ah, it was getting a little chilly down there," Hanley muttered and pushed her goggles onto the top of her head. Other than the astrolabe, she didn't get much today. It was disappointing, as Hanley had hoped to unearth something good enough to be a present. She had been searching for the past month for something suitable, but nothing leaped out at her as good enough.

And now it was December 31.

Hanley quickly slipped on a pair of dark blue trousers and a white turtleneck over her two-piece. She needed to get going.

'Damn, what am I going to do? I'm leaving today. Maybe I shouldn't be so fucking picky, but...'

Ace would be leaving, and it was his birthday on top of that. None of them celebrated the other's birthday for a variety of reasons, but this time would be different. Hanley just had to find the perfect thing to give him—she'd probably never see him again.

Yet, she had been here for so long that the thought of going home was now, somehow, a little intimidating instead of comforting. It would be so easy to stay here. Hell, once she finished her training it would be nothing to rent an apartment here in Green Harbor and really learn the salvage trade. Or, maybe she could travel and put her skills to good use.

Hanley quickly dismissed that thought.

'I can't make anything simple for myself, can I? Oh well, I'll be fine when I see my grandparents again. I wonder how everyone turned out. They should have graduated secondary by now. I bet Eriko-sempai must be looking at college. Natsuhiko—er, I wonder if he would even go to secondary, he hated school and would much rather own a boat and fish like his father. Hitomi...hm, she'd finish high school, I think. And Daisuke-sensei...' Imagining how her friends and family were doing back home was probably an exercise in futility, but it was something she did occasionally to keep her spirits up. As time wore on she found herself thinking about them less and less. Their faces were fading and she was slowly forgetting the little things she knew about them. Maybe it was inevitable; still, it wasn't something that sat well with her.

Her goal hadn't changed, not after seven years of hard labor.

Hanley stopped by Marxby's and dropped off her loot. While Marxby was busy appraising her find, she gave his shop one last look over before she had to go back to Eagle's Peak. The cramped shop had nothing that caught her eye, however.

"Did you find anything, Hanley?" Marxby asked kindly as he took money from his safe to pay her.

Hanley sighed, "No, nothing. And I'm leaving today. What do you think?"

"I think it's the thought that counts. It's for him to remember you by, is it not?"

"Mm...I guess. Still, I want him to think well of me." Hanley could only shrug helplessly as she took her money.

'I can't even tell him we'll never see each other again. Now I can't find a suitable present for him.'

And that was something she desperately wanted. She already didn't get to see the boys as often as she would have liked—a handful of times over a span of years—but once they left and she began her travels in earnest, the likelihood they would run into each other was so slim that she wasn't going to hold her breath over it. That wasn't even counting if she returned home. Then her problems would start all over again, only with a different set of friends. She couldn't fucking win, it seems.

The walk back from Green Harbor to Eagle's Peak was uneventful, and by the time she reached the base of the mountain it was late in the morning. Hanley paused long enough to stuff her turtleneck into her bag, secure it tightly on her back, and take off her shoes. She eyed the slope thoughtfully, hands on her hips.

"I wonder what that old bastard's done today," she muttered thoughtfully. Hanley tapped the rocky ground lightly with her foot before shrugging and charging forward at full speed. She bypassed the tiny mountain trail and simply ran up the rock face.

It only took her five seconds to set off the first trap.

There was a loud crashing noise from above as giant boulders rolled down the mountainside in groups of three by three.

"_Boulders_?? Sadistic mother f--!!" Hanley cursed and dodged to the right, avoiding the first boulder she reached and leaping clear over the second one. However, she landed awkwardly on the steep surface and slid down several meters before her toes found a proper foothold.

'Shitshitshit, I'm going to kill him he deserves death!' Hanley teetered backward, arms flailing wildly before she managed to lean forward and grip a small rock that was protruding from the cliff. She swung her body upward, smashing the last boulder to pieces with a knee strike before she ended up eating it. It would have been a pretty cool maneuver if the handhold was able to support her weight. Instead, it crumbled in her hand and sent Hanley crashing onto the ground. She snarled angrily and brushed the dirt and bits of gravel from her scales, glad she had the foresight to tuck her shirt away before it was ruined.

"Okay, I guess the asshole wants me to take the trail," sighed Hanley. Knowing Master Thai like she did, no doubt the boulders were the first of a series of warnings. She hopped up and resumed her dash up the mountain, this time taking the narrow path that wound its way up the slope. She had hoped to avoid it as it took much longer, but, clearly, the man was determined to torment her.

Hanley ran as fast as she could, but she still managed to trip what had to be every single trap Master Thai set out for her. Smoke bombs, wires, swinging logs, and a quarter of the way up she had to block flying wooden stakes shooting at her with her elbows and knees. This continued until she reached the halfway mark, where she was able to catch her breath and rethink her approach.

"Right, this isn't working. He's switched up the traps again; I'll just go slowly and carefully," Hanley said, walking up the path instead. She blinked when she stepped on a wire, causing a small explosion to erupt behind the heel of her foot and sending her into a full out run, "I'll kill that son of a bitch, I hate you, I hate you, God, why????"

The chain of land mines chased her all the way to the three-quarters mark; the last one nearly sent her face first into the shallow pool where she fetched their water.

"It's over! I'm home free..." Hanley picked herself and staggered forward.

'Bastard, and to think I actually like him! There's a name for my condition, I know it!'

"All this just to come home after a hard morning of work," she grumbled. She paused when she heard a loud crack and looked up.

'Oh, shit, a mudslide.'

*

"Y'know, most teachers find it counter productive to try to kill their students," Hanley said as she entered the house, covered in soot, debris, and stuff she really did not want to think about. She dropped her sack by the door and plopped down by the low table.

Her training had progressed steadily these past several years: pushing boulders up Eagle's Peak; meditating on sharp rocks; swimming in leech infested waters _while_ pushing boulders, dodging sharp rocks, and chanting sutra. It had gotten to the point where Master Thai now felt comfortable enough with her skill level to try to do her serious bodily harm as she attempted to, well, live. He said it was to toughen her up, but Hanley really had to wonder sometimes if his cackling was _strictly_ necessary.

It wasn't, for future reference.

Krut Thai didn't even bother looking up from his afternoon paper. His pipe was clenched firmly in his teeth and, really, the only thing he needed was a smoking jacket and a pair of slippers to complete the look.

"Whining about my methods again, are we? Besides, I am not like most teachers. Were you successful in Green Harbor?"

Hanley sighed and leaned her elbows onto the table, idly picking up the palm sized statue of Jizo that sat before her.

"No. I couldn't find anything I liked."

"You are leaving for Fuschia today, are you not?"

Hanley nodded, "Mm. I want to get there early. I—I want to get him something before he goes. It's his birthday and he's leaving, so I, er, thought this would be a good time to give a present."

"Hm. Well, you could always sleep with--"  
"I am not that kind of woman!!!!" she shrieked, throwing Jizo at his head. Krut Thai calmly took one hand off the paper and caught the statue between his fore and middle finger a second before it smashed into his temple.

"Oh, you're getting faster even with the weights on, Hanley. I suppose that's something."  
"I'll thank you not to insinuate that women are crazed, overly sexual creatures," Hanley snapped, face flushed. She had hoped he'd get better about that after _seven years_, but apparently he merely took her to be exception to the rule.

'I don't know what I was thinking, he's hated women for decades—that won't change anytime soon.'

Master Thai grunted and set Jizo on his workbench, returning to his paper without so much as looking at her. Hanley grumbled and glared at him.

"Stupid old man, just die already."

"Naive girl, I will never die."

'I'm starting to think that's true.'

Hanley sneered a bit and tapped a sharp rhythm against the scales on her arm.

"Maybe I should help you along."

"As my student you are certainly welcome to try. But I feel obligated to tell you," he lowered his paper enough so that his dark red eyes could met hers, "that you had better finish me off on the first blow."

"...On second thought, I need to pack."  
"And this is why we work as teacher and student."

'You mean Prison guard and inmate.'

Hanley groaned and stood. She would have to clean up first before she did anything else.

"I'll be gone for a couple of days. Why don't you get out of the house for once?"

Krut Thai gave a grunt and glanced over at her. He frowned and nodded pointedly at the dirt she tracked in.

"Why don't you hurry up and take a bath?"

Hanley's eyes narrowed, then she dashed over and jumped on Krut Thai's back, smearing mud and grime all over his saffron robe.

"Mwaha, taste my revenge!"

"You damned brat! Get the hell off!"

Hanley ducked under his swing and rubbed her dirty hands on his cheeks, staining his stubble.

"Geez, you have sharp hair, old man!" she dodged another half-hearted swing and danced out of range, making faces at him, "I feel better!"

Krut Thai sneered and pointedly held up his paper.

"Obviously I have been too lax with you."  
"Don't even try that, I should have you arrested for attempted murder. And shave, old man, you're past the age where unkempt looks good!" Hanley called back as she headed outside to the bath house.

**********

Portgas D. Ace

"It's nice of you to cook all this for us, Makino-san," Ace said, picking up a pair of chopsticks, "but I can pay, you know."

Makino smiled and shook her head, "No, it's fine! You'll be leaving soon, hm? Think of it as a farewell present."

The table was laden with a wide variety of food, from takoyaki to hamburgers. It must have taken quite some time to prepare everything, considering how much work it took to satisfy his and Luffy's appetites.

They had arrived earlier that morning and crashed at Makino's place just like they used to. Seeing Fuschia Village again for the first time in years brought back a lot of memories he didn't even know he'd lost, and Ace had been seized with an uncharacteristic bout of nostalgia. He wanted to relax in the quiet atmosphere; he wanted to stay at their old place one last time before he left the island for good. When it came down to it, this was the place where he lived most of his life since Garp brought him up from South Blue. Ace was only going to move forward from now on, but it wouldn't hurt to take in the sights of his first real home.

It was the day before his birthday, and he would be leaving at dawn tomorrow.

Luffy was already deep into his lunch, Ace not far behind him even if he couldn't stretch to epic proportions. Once they were seen to, Makino went back to tend the bar even though the tavern was currently empty. There was only one more person who had to arrive.

"It's been a while since we've had food this good, huh, Luffy?"

Luffy nodded, "Yup, sure is. Oi, when's Hanley gonna be here, she said she'd come!"

"It's still early yet. It's been six months since we've seen her. I wonder how she is."  
"Eh, probably still lazy. She's so sloooow, Ace, we'll be waiting forever!"

"Haha, I think that's just you being impatient again."  
"Nope, she's slow."

Ace chuckled and returned to his food. Still, a lot could happen in six months' time. He had to wonder if she was still determined to follow her own way and go home; if not, he really wanted to ask her...

"Oi, you gonna eat that?" Luffy asked, mouth full. Ace growled at him and quickly protected his plate from Luffy's sticky fingers.

"Yeah, Makino-san gave you plenty of your own, finish that first."

"Boo, stingy Ace..."

"Glutton," Ace replied with a hint of affection, "learn some self control." He cleaned out his third plate and stacked it on top of the others. Luffy didn't appear to pout for too long, choosing to turn his attention to a large bowl of fried rice instead.

"When Hanley gets here she can make me bacon."

"I'm sure that's exactly what she wants to do, Luffy."

Ace steered the conversation to other subjects, wanting to squeeze in as much time with his brother as he could. It would be a good three years before they saw each other again, at minimum, and while he knew Luffy could take care of himself, Ace couldn't really help but worry about him. Having a brother like Luffy was an exercise in exasperation, as it really wasn't a matter of if he was going to get into trouble but _when_, and Luffy didn't exactly believe in doing things halfway. Whoever Luffy ultimately chose to be in his crew really had their work cut out for them.

'Poor bastards. Hanley's already well on her way to having gray hair by the age of 20...if she doesn't pull it out first,' Ace thought, snickering.

Luffy paused momentarily, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Pass the salt, won't you?"

Still, this was just the beginning of something wonderful. While Ace wasn't nearly as vocal about his love for adventure, the excitement he felt simply thinking about tomorrow nearly consumed him. Soon his dream of a life without regrets and freedom would be realized.

Ace looked up when the doors to the tavern swung open.

"Hello? I'm not late, am I?"

Luffy brightened and waved his arms.

"It's been a while! You're really slow!"

"Shut up, Luffy! I'm not lazy, dammit!"

'Ah, now that's definitely familiar.'

Ace straightened and swallowed his food before speaking, "Yo, Hanley. I'm glad you're here."

The first thing he noticed was her hair. It was much shorter than when he previously saw her, around the same length as Luffy's only brushed and far neater. The change was a little dramatic, as the last time they met it was past her shoulders and she was trying to grow it out—something about wanting to look more feminine. Ace wasn't, however, so surprised to see that she was still taller than he was. She'd always been just a smidge taller, but she really shot up when they were 13 and he had yet to catch her. Other than that, her skin was still dark brown and her eyes were still green and he could make out a thin layer of dark blue scales on the back of her hands where her sleeves ended. He idly wondered just how many scales she had before realizing that was just a tad perverted.

Hanley gave him a bright smile before her eyes immediately went to his bare chest. Her eyebrow raised and she gave him a look.

"Ace, it's the dead of winter, where is your shirt?"

'Hello to you, too. We've only not seen each other for six months.'

"Hey now, I worked hard for this chiseled torso. Why shouldn't I show it off?"

Hanley laughed and tossed her duffel aside before sitting at the table.

"I really hope you're joking. So tell me, Luffy, does this guy pose in front of a mirror?"

Luffy blinked, "Huh? How did you know?"

Hanley nearly killed herself laughing as Ace kicked Luffy under the table. Luffy jumped—not from the pain but more from the impact—and looked confused.

"What'd I do?"

Ace sighed, "I'm glad you're having so much fun at my expense."

"Ha! All the times you laughed at me I think I'm entitled to this one. Maybe I should have gotten you a shirt for your birthday—or some body oil," Hanley said with a slight leer.

Ace rolled his eyes and flicked a piece of shrimp at her. Hanley snatched it out of the air and popped it into her mouth.

"You got me a birthday present?" he asked, changing the subject before she could really get going.

"Of course, silly. This time you're leaving the island. That requires something special, hm?"

"You didn't have to--"  
"I wanted to. It's important."

Something in her voice caused Ace to look at her more closely, and for a moment he thought she was going to get upset, but Hanley quickly turned to Luffy and began to coo over how big he's gotten. They were together again, the three of them. Ace thought of the years that passed and how fast they flew by. Leaving Fuschia and becoming his own man was a dream of his, quite romantic he thought, but those times when the three of them would run under the warm island sun were nice, too. Innocent times that, if he were the type, would have been enough for him. It wouldn't have been so bad if it were just the three of them from now until the end.

Thoughts like that made Ace feel foolish, as he was far too greedy to let that satisfy him, and Luffy was just as bad. They didn't have it in them to be so complacent about life. Garp was the same way even if he went about it differently. Hanley, though, was a bit different. But then, she'd always been a little different. It wasn't the scales—he didn't care about those and secretly thought he wouldn't mind having some himself—but it was something else he could never put his finger on. Hanley never really fit in on the island; then again, he and Luffy really didn't either. Yet, something was always off about it.

She never did say where "home" was.

Not that he never really came clean to her, either. It wasn't exactly a matter of trust; it never crossed his mind that Hanley would report him or stab him in the back. It was more that Ace really didn't want anyone to know. He'd erase that man from his blood if he could, and the only reason Luffy knew anything about it was simply because it was unavoidable. Honestly, the only one out of the three of them that was really and truly open was his younger brother, and he was transparent to the point of ridiculousness.

"You're going to be really handsome when you grow up, Luffy! You'll have to beat admirers off with a stick," said Hanley, breaking Ace out of his musings. Makino nodded in agreement as she set down a steaming mug of hot chocolate in front of her.

"Why would I beat anyone with sticks?" Luffy asked, not quite understanding what they were getting at.

Hanley merely gave him a smile and patted his hand.

"Don't worry about it, I'll handle the beatings."

'I think she's spent too long with Master Thai if she's starting to endorse random acts of violence.'

"While you're doing that, can you make me bacon, too??" Luffy immediately asked, getting to the real heart of the matter.

Hanley's eyebrow twitched. "Eh? I just get here and you're begging food off me already?"

"It's been a long time, Hanley!"

"Let her settle in, first, Luffy," Ace interrupted, wiping his mouth, "she can make you all the bacon you want later."

"I'm not cooking any damn bacon."

"We both know you will, Hanley."

She gave a small grunt and sipped her hot chocolate, not disagreeing with him. Hanley had a rather large soft spot where his brother was concerned, no matter how often she complained about him.

"Stupid kid, I don't know how he does it," she grumbled, "I can tell you no and mean it, easily."

"Funny how that works," he replied, laughing. Ace finished off his meal and neatly stacked his dishes. Now was as good a time as any to talk to her.

"Luffy, you'll be okay with Makino-san for a while, yeah? I need to take Hanley out for a bit."

"You do?" Hanley asked, looking at him in confusion.

"Yeah, for a while."

"Oh, well, let's go now." She finished off her hot chocolate and stood.

They didn't leave right away as Hanley worried about him catching his death from cold and refused to go outdoors unless he covered up with something. He didn't really see the big deal, the island never got too terribly cold even during the middle of winter, but he threw a vest on to satisfy her.

She gave him a look but didn't say anything else about it.

They didn't really talk much as he led her out of the town proper and east on the main road. Ace hadn't been this way in a while, but past the pastures there was a small forest along the coastline not too far out.

Hanley gave his shoulder a nudge. "Where are we going?"

"Just some place where we can be alone," Ace answered with a grin. He continued walking for a moment before realizing that Hanley had stopped in her tracks. He turned back and saw that she was staring at him with the oddest look on her face.

"Um, what do you mean?" she asked slowly.

"What?" Then it finally dawned on him what she was talking about. "Oh, no! Not that, no. Definitely not."

Hanley's odd look turned into a glare.

"The fuck is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Ace gave a nervous laugh and scratched the bridge of his nose.

"Oops, didn't mean it like that, either."

"Hm."

"Really! Come on, it's not that much further."

Hanley sneered slightly but her glare faded quickly enough. She caught up with him and shoved his hat over his eyes as she passed.

"This had better be important," Hanley she called back as she scaled the small hill.

"It is, you'll see."

The forest came into view immediately after one reached the crest of the hill. Well, actually, it really was more of a small, wooded area than a proper forest—the trees were few and the underbrush was practically nonexistent. There were a few stumps here and there where someone cut down the trees for kindling as they weren't good for much else. Hanley hummed as she approached the area and looked over her shoulder at him.

"So this is it? Eh, even if this was supposed to be a romantic interlude it seriously wouldn't have worked."

"Oi, oi, I can be suave if need be," Ace objected jokingly, "I'd take a girl to a restaurant, first."

Hanley threw him a look, "I hope the experience wouldn't be anything at all like the last time we ate a restaurant."

Ace winced and coughed.

"I'm guessing you've yet to forgive me and Luffy about that, huh?"

"You'd think right, Mr. Dine-and-Dash."

"How is it my fault you missed the signal?"

"Considering I wasn't aware there _was_ one, you cheap bastard, I'd say the blame is firmly on your shoulders." Hanley poked him in the sternum. "Do you have any idea how much you and your brother put away?"

"Oh, good point."

Hanley sighed and turned to face the ocean. Ace leaned forward so she could see his face.

"Sorry, Hanley."

"Whatever."

'She really can keep a grudge. Oh well, I'll take that as a sign of forgiveness.'

"Hey," Ace murmured after silence had fallen.

"Hm?" Hanley no longer looked angry at him, and while he wasn't exactly the best at reading people, it didn't take much to notice that she had something on her mind. It took even less to see that whatever it was upset her. Really, Ace had never seen someone who could worry themselves to distraction like Hanley could. Knowing her, she was probably thinking about tomorrow.

Ace thought for a moment how to best word his next response, but finally he just shrugged and stepped in front of her. Sometimes the best way was to just be straightforward.

"Let's fight."

Hanley's eyebrows raised before she gave him a small smile.

"Fight? Why? We're not going to do some kind of, 'talking with our fists,' kind of thing, are we?"

"I don't really know what that means; I just want to see something. Fight me, it'll be fun."

"Eh? So is that all? Not satisfied with only kicking Luffy around?"

"Haha, don't put it like that. I think it'd be good for us. And..."

"And?"  
"We made a pact, didn't we?" Hanley stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"I haven't forgotten. Let's go, then," she agreed, backing up to a suitable distance before smoothly slipping into a fighting stance. Ace had to admit he was a little excited to really see Master Thai's unarmed style in action. It was one of those things you hear about but never really witness for yourself. The time when Thai fought Yura didn't count—it was so incredibly one sided he clearly didn't bother taking her seriously.

Ace had never sparred with Hanley before. She normally wasn't the fighting type and didn't like to do it unless there was a very good reason. It was for self defense and protection only; it wasn't fun or something to do to pass the time. She usually sat on the sidelines and watched as he and Luffy would try to beat the snot out of each other.

But Ace wanted to have a good fight with her at least once.

Ace settled into his own stance and thought about the best way to approach—rushing in head first without some sort of plan was more his brother's specialty than his. Hanley had a long reach, but it was nothing like Luffy's when he started swinging so that was nothing to worry about. As most of her weight was on her back foot, he had to assume she favored short kicks, possibly a push kick, to keep opponents at a distance. Her stance was also pretty compact and seemed heavily defensive. It would be like her not to want to get in to close and risk unnecessary damage.

What Ace didn't expect was for her to suddenly close the distance between them and throw a punch at his face.

'Damn, she's fast--' Ace barely moved his head to the side to dodge the blow, only to bring up his arm to block another punch a second later. After those, he was suddenly under a barrage of punches and jabs, catching two with his face before he managed to bring his foot up and aim a side kick to her abdomen. Hanley blocked the kick with her knee, which he pretty much expected, and threw another punch at his nose; however, the pause in the attack was all he needed, as he quickly grabbed her wrist with his left hand and a fistful of her turtleneck with his right and threw her as far as he could. She clipped the side of a tree during her flight, but she righted herself midair and landed in a crouch.

"Oh, on guard," Hanley said brightly. Ace let out a bark of laughter, adrenalin and the simple act of _fighting_ making him cheerful despite the pain in his face.

She hit hard, too.

"My fault, my fault. You're a lot faster than I'm used to!" Hanley was being more aggressive than he thought she would be. It really threw him off guard at first, but he found this to be even better. It wouldn't be half as fun if she was going to be defensive the whole time.

"How far are we going?"

Ace shrugged and smiled even more widely, bringing his fists up once more.

"I dunno, we'll see when we get there."

That speed was going to be an issue, and while she didn't seem to be as strong as Luffy, her blows still hurt when they landed. Of course, it wasn't anything he couldn't deal with. Hanley charged at him once more, quickly overcoming the distance he made with his throw. Her footwork was really good, too—it was smooth and light, and Ace had to wonder what the hell Master Thai did. Still, he was more than ready this time.

He ducked under her roundhouse kick and swept her leg out from under her. Hanley landed on her back but was up again a flash, nearly running right into his uppercut. It clipped her on the chin, but she retaliated with an elbow that landed solidly on his temple.

They traded blows for nearly a minute until, by some unspoken agreement, they broke away to take stock of the situation. Ace ducked behind a tree and rubbed his arms.

'She would block with her knees and elbows. It was foolish of me to think Master Thai's style was anything _but_ offensive.' It was also becoming increasingly apparent that her scales weren't just there for decoration. He had no idea how covered she was, but from the blows he was able to land he felt some resistance, reducing the damage taken. He'd either have to hit harder or find a weak spot. But she'll be guarding those.

Oh well, he'll just aim for her face then.

A rustle to his right alerted him to the upcoming attack, and he barely managed to roll out of the way before he got a face full of Hanley's shin. Ace made a quick decision and immediately ran inside her guard.

She smiled at him.

Then she grabbed his hair (two guesses why she felt the need to cut hers) and pulled him down as her knee came up and sank into his abdomen.

"Master Thai called this a 'clinch.' It was annoying when he did it to me, but now I see how fun it can be."

"Happy to help," Ace wheezed the moment he got some breath back. Naturally, Hanley promptly kneed him in the sternum again. When he saw her lift her leg for the third time, he rammed his shoulder into her stomach, causing her to stagger a bit, and twisted under her arm and behind, breaking the hold on his hair. Before she could move away, he wrapped his arms around hers, locking them in place. Hanley attempted to kick out of the move, but Ace picked her up and arched backwards, driving the back of her neck and shoulders into the ground. He had released her arms midway, letting gravity do the work for him, so she was able to roll away into a crouch but was too stunned at the moment to stand.

'At least that works,' Ace thought. He couldn't use any grappling moves on Luffy, but judging from that hit Hanley was pretty susceptible. He quickly grabbed her arm to repeat the move, but Hanley was a hair faster even disoriented, and she shoved him away with a quick push kick.

"Asshole, that hurt!" she complained, her right hand holding her opposite shoulder.

Ace smirked, "You're the one ramming your joints down my throat. That knee also hurt."

"Oh screw you, I knew I should have aimed for the groin."

"Is that where Luffy gets it from? He always goes for the family jewels first thing."

"Ha!" Hanley laughed, obviously amused to hear about Luffy's attempts to crush his balls every time they sparred. Ace could almost imagine the hilarity that would ensue if she heard that he actually succeeded in doing so. And then she was once again in his face, her elbow strike catching his jaw.

'Yeah, that speed is definitely a problem. I better hurry it up.'

His entire face was throbbing furiously, as was his torso, and his arms and legs were aching from when she attacked them while blocking.

It was a lot of fun.

Ace suspected Hanley was having a good time as well, which would be a pleasant surprise considering what she thought was fun. He was just sorry they weren't able to do this before; other than their teacher, Luffy was really the only one to give him a good workout. Bandits and highway robbers ceased to be interesting back when he was only ten years old.

"Finally!" Hanley cried when he tried to lock her into another suplex. Her shirt had ridden up and he miscalculated in adjusting his grip to take the smoothness of her scales into account. That gave her just enough leeway to twist and use his shoulder to hoist herself into the air. Then she allowed herself to fall, and her elbow came down on top of his head with a loud crack with practically all of her weight behind it, and Ace found himself stumbling back into a tree while he tried to blink the dark spots from his eyes.

'Alright, that was a good move.' He managed to catch a knee he was pretty sure was aiming below the belt (trust her to be serious about that, damn) and head butted her. Hanley reeled backward, looking dazed, finally giving him the opening he need. He grabbed her around the waist—keeping his hold tight this time—and lifted her as high as he could.

Hanley's nails dug into his hands, "Oh shit—" Ace slammed her onto the ground shoulders first. He held her into a pin until he was certain she wasn't going to attack him anymore.

"I win?" Ace asked, although the answer was pretty clear when she wasn't moving in his hold. Hanley's eye cracked open and she gave a small nod.

"You win."

"Great," he replied, letting her go and leaning back against the tree to catch his breath. Ace gingerly felt the top of his head. He wasn't surprised to see a bit of blood on his fingertips. Hanley rolled to the side onto her stomach and slowly moved her head to face him. She rested her cheek on her folded arms and gave him a small grin.

"So."

Ace raised an eyebrow, "So?"

"Was it good for you?"

A moment of silence passed before Ace burst into laughter.

"Geez, Hanley! Don't do that, you bruised my diaphragm."

"Well, I admit that was pretty fun."

"There, you see? I told you it was. And all I had to do was beat you up."

"Ha. Ha. Is this how you treat all your friends or am I a special case?"

"You're a special case," answered Ace, grinning, "you got a name for that move you just did?"

"What, that last one? I dunno, elbow to the head?"

"...Lame, Hanley."

"Oh shut up, Ace. What was I supposed to say? 'Moon Twilight Flash'? Give me a break."

Ace stared at her. "Moon what?"

"Nevermind," she muttered, idly waving her hand before tucking it under her head once more.

Ace shrugged and wrote off the remark as another one of Hanley's odd references from her homeland. The two of them fell into a comfortable silence as they tried to get the energy to head back to Fuschia. The pain in his face had reduced to a dull throb and he was covered in dirt and sweat. Hanley wasn't looking that much better.

Well, now that he really thought about it she didn't look that bad. Her short hair was all over the place, and her shirt was riding up, and while her appearance wasn't really something he paid a lot of attention to, seeing it now was...

Ace frowned thoughtfully and directed his stare at the spot ahead of him. Something passed over his consciousness then, but he didn't feel like thinking too deeply about anything right now, so he quickly let it go. It was late in the afternoon, in any case, and the others were probably wondering where they got off to.

Ace rolled his head to the side to look down at Hanley once more.

"Can I ask you another question?"

"Not again, Ace, I have a headache," mumbled Hanley, eyes closed. He snorted in response.

"I told you not to do that, think of my diaphragm," he poked her shoulder, "I'm just curious about something."

"Oh. Well, what?"

"Can I see your scales?"

Hanley blinked and lifted her head.

"My scales? Why do you want to see those?"

"Because you never let me see them. If you're uncomfortable, that's fine, but--"

"Oh, sure. Do whatever."

"Are you sure?"

Hanley shifted and gave a small shrug.

"Well, they're not going anywhere, so I made my peace with them. Mostly. 'Sides, I guess they are an oddity, huh?"

Ace carefully reached over and touched her back. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but they were dryer and smoother than he figured. He sort of thought they would be more rough, like a natural armor, but he could see now that while the overlapping scales would provide some protection from blunt and sharp objects, it wouldn't do for her to rely heavily on them. The scales covered and reinforced her existing skeleton, excluding her skull, as well as some major organs—kidneys, heart, lungs, liver from what he could tell.

'Master Thai was right, a snake would be a good way to describe it. Where exactly are you from, Hanley?'

"Hey, Hanley--"

"Ace, we're friends, right?" Hanley asked, interrupting whatever he was going to say. It was just as well, he wasn't even sure what he was going to talk about.

"Yeah, we are."

"That...that means we should tell each other everything, right?"

Ace paused and grinned wryly.

"Well, ideally, we should."

Hanley sighed, "You'll be leaving tomorrow."

"I am, yes."

"I'll never see you again."

"Oi, I don't think it's that permanent," he said before looking down at her. She wasn't looking at him, though, and her behavior earlier suddenly made sense. "We aren't, is that what you think? Where is home, Hanley?"

"Far, far away."

"How far is 'far, far away'?"

"Too far," she mumbled, looking away and placing her forehead on her arms, "worlds away."

Ace kept his hand on her back as now it looked like she needed it. Not that this was his forte.

"Is this why you've been upset?" he asked quietly. Hanley looked at him in surprise.

'I'm not that slow, you realize, I _do_ notice things,' Ace thought.

"Then, well, if that's the case, I want you to come with me."

Hanley was now openly gaping at him.

"You what?"

"Come with me. That's why I brought you out here. I wasn't sure how to ask before, so..."

"So you thought kicking my ass would be a good way to ease into the conversation?"

"Maybe?"

Hanley laughed softly and looked into his eyes.

"No."

Ace scowled. 'Well, hell, you could at least fake thinking about it.'

"I mean," she amended, sounding apologetic, "I don't want to become a pirate and make things even more difficult."

"You're always afraid of making things difficult. That's really annoying, you know." That got her attention, and while Ace was a little thankful she also didn't have any fangs to match those scales, he was determined to say what needed to be said.

"Excuse me? 'One of things,' Ace?"

"And I'm sure you can say the same about me--"

"Oh, you bet. Trust that I'm thinking of them _right now_."

"But, Hanley, sometimes the path of least resistance isn't the best one. Sometimes you just gotta be adventurous and take risks. I think you'll be happier that way because right now you don't look very pleased with the idea of going home."

"I..." she trailed off, trying to come up with a response to that.

Ace continued, "You know, Hanley, when we were fighting earlier, you, well, had more confidence than I thought you would. I liked that."

And he really did. Ace was never lacking in confidence, so he probably wasn't the best person to understand Hanley's position. Still, when they were sparring, Ace felt that something had happened. She had confidence in her techniques and didn't hold back. Frankly, it was a side of Hanley he rarely saw and one he honestly wanted to see again. He had no idea how to tell her that, though.

Hanley broke eye contact, looking uncomfortable. She buried her face into her arms once more.

"Ace, home is more important, right?"

Ace wanted to be brutally honest and tell her, no, they were far more important and this was her home and she should just get over whatever she was hung up about and go sailing with him already, but he wisely thought that wouldn't go over well so he tried for diplomacy.

"I can't tell you that, Hanley."

"I guess you can't."

**********

Amano Hanley

The walk back to Fuschia Village was awkward, to say the least. Hanley kept glancing at Ace the entire way, trying to figure out if he was angry at her for refusing. He didn't look it, but there was a slight frown on his face that let her know something didn't sit right with him.

'I think...I think I'm being an idiot.'

And maybe she was. Maybe she should just go with him and look for a way home while she was with him.

But she really didn't want to be a pirate.

Hanley had no idea what lay in store for her in the future, and the last thing she needed was piracy to add to the stress. She could move around much more freely without a bounty on her head. She had no desire being hunted, thank you. Besides, who said being a pirate was any fun anyway?

Hanley tried not to think about Shanks and Ishamon-sensei and the crew of the _Red Dawn_.

Whatever piracy was, it just wasn't for her and she had to deal with it. Ace and Luffy would have to deal with it.

Ace held the door open for her once they reached Party's Bar. He gave her a small grin and nodded for her to go on ahead.

'Good, he doesn't think badly of me.'

"My goodness, what happened to you two??" Makino cried. Ace was bruised and covered in dirt, and Hanley could only imagine how she looked.

Ace smiled widely. "Nothing, we were just fighting."

"What?? And you left without me? I was so bored! Makino made me help some help old lady," Luffy whined, looking put out. Hanley's lips twitched while Makino giggled behind her hand.

"You didn't sound that upset when she fed you as payment."

"I had to, then, I got hungry again," came the simple reply.

Hanley shrugged and said, "Sorry, we had things to talk about." Not that she sounded too sorry at all.

"That's okay, we have to talk, too."

"Wha--" she sputtered when Luffy hopped off his stool and raced past, grabbed her the arm and tugging her outdoors. Ace stared after them as they disappeared around the corner.

'Now the younger one wants to beat me up. What the fuck happened to a simple "hello"?' thought Hanley when Luffy yanked her to a side alley. She wrenched her arm from his grasp and glared at him.

"Be more careful, Luffy."

"Oh, sorry—anyway, I've been thinking, Hanley!"

Oh, shit, he's been thinking. What horror will she have to suffer through now?

Luffy continued, "I want to get Ace something."

"Luffy that's," Hanley paused and reviewed what he just told her, "that's _actually_ a good idea! Luffy, I am surprised and touched. It's very thoughtful of you!"

For _ONCE_. Maybe he'll listen to her on other things, too. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for him yet!

Better not get ahead of herself, though.

"Shishi, I know," he nodded vigorously, looking more than pleased with himself, "but I don't know what to get him."

Hanley was just so thrilled he finally showed some hint of good manners she'd have cheerfully paid for whatever he wanted at that point. Where was a camera when you needed one? When he inevitably tried her patience in the future at least she could look back on this moment and think of the good times.

"Well, let's see," Hanley murmured thoughtfully. She didn't have much of an idea—it took her a month before she found something she liked. Then it hit her, "He wants to be a pirate, right? Has he thought of a name, yet?"

"Uh..." Luffy's face screwed up and Hanley nearly reached for a handkerchief so she could wipe his brow, "oh, yeah, something about spades."

Hanley nodded. That made sense.

"Captain Ace of the Spade Pirates. That's an adorable name!"

Luffy gave her a serious look and said, "Hanley, pirates and men are not adorable."

"Of course, you're quite right, very serious," she agreed, schooling her smile into a scowl.

"That's right I am."

"Good thing you're here, then. You can make him a proper Jolly Roger."

Luffy's face brightened.

"Yeah, he doesn't have a flag, yet."

"Let's meet out here tonight and make him one."

"Okay! Yosh!"

Hanley slipped her hand under his hat and ruffled his hair.

"You're adorable."

"I'm a man, Hanley."

"Haha, I apologize."

"That's alright," Luffy said graciously, "the ways of men are beyond you."

'And quite a few things are beyond you. Silly.'

By the time they returned to Party's Bar it occurred to her that they would have to find a way to obtain black cloth and paint before dawn and without Ace knowing. She'll have to plan this carefully, as Luffy and anything requiring even the most basic form of discretion didn't mix. It was worse than oil and water.

Still, she couldn't exactly do anything until later on tonight when Ace went to bed. Since he was leaving early, they probably wouldn't have to wait too long for that to happen. Hanley was already bouncing around ideas for a good Jolly Roger. The simplest thing to do—she couldn't draw worth shit—would be a playing card. Oh well, it was Luffy's gift, and he had a wild imagination, so he'll have something figured out.

"That was a quick talk," Ace greeted from the bar.  
"Oh, well, he didn't feel the need to challenge me to a showdown," Hanley answered, making a face at him. Ace smiled and leaned on his arm.

"Anything I should know?"

Luffy shook his head, "Nope."

"Everything's fine," Hanley quickly said before Luffy slipped up somewhere. Ace looked unconvinced and even more curious.

'I know what you're thinking, what was so important that Luffy had to drag me out of hearing distance, but you'll just have to wait, Portgas D. Ace.'

"Where's Makino-san?" she asked, trying to change the subject. It was clumsy, and by the look Ace gave her it was pretty obvious it was clumsy, but Hanley was spared when Makino poked her head out from the kitchen.

"I'm right here, the dinner rush is coming soon."

"I'll help! And Luffy can clean."

"Oi!"

"Luffy, you're going to make us women do everything?"

"...Oh, guess not. I'll help."

'He'so easy I almost feel bad.'

Time seemed to flow even faster as the hour of Ace's departure drew nearer. The tavern was full that night with men that recently got off work and wanted to relax before returning home. They were happy to see the three of them there, but Ace didn't say anything about his leaving the island completely, not wanting them to make a big deal out of it. In the long run that didn't matter anyway, as he went upstairs soon after the last drink was served. Hanley watched him leave and quickly looked around for Luffy. Now would be the perfect time to get started.

Only he wasn't there.

Hanley sighed in frustration and asked around the bar. Apparently Luffy had left some time ago while she was serving the patrons, and no one really knew where he went. Hanley decided to push aside her irritation for now, at least until she checked the spot they agreed to meet at. She slipped outside into the cold night air, walked around Party's Bar, and made her way down the side alley to the spot Luffy dragged her to earlier. She found him pretty quickly, crouched and staring at something on the ground.

"You're so slow, Hanley, I already got the stuff," Luffy greeted cheerfully.

"Seeing as you're being unusually thoughtful today, I'll ignore that and refrain from smacking you." But she smiled at him and lightly nudged the back of his head with her knee.

"So, what design does Hanuman have so far?" she asked brightly. The light from the tavern was just enough to see by.

"This!" he replied and pointed to...something.

'What am I looking at? What is that _thing_?'

Hanley could tell what it was supposed to be, but she wasn't quite sure about the growth behind the skull.

"Um, how about you let me try?" Luffy brought a lot of cloth with him, and while Hanley liked to think it was due to foresight, it was probably more along the lines of coincidence. Hanley rolled up her sleeves and picked up a brush. It couldn't be too hard, just a spade and a Jolly Roger, she wasn't going for museum masterpiece, here. Luffy looked over her shoulder while she worked, although she had to push him back when the rim of his hat hit her neck.

Hanley frowned once she finished, trying to figure out why the hell it looked nothing like the way she imagined.

"...It looks like a turnip," Luffy spoke up suddenly.

Hanley growled, "It's a spade."

"It looks like a turnip."

"Well it's not."

"...Is it a turnip?"

"No!"

"...I wanna eat it--"

"Will you shut up?"

"Shishishi, Hanley can't draw!"

"And you can?? Look, it says 'SPADE' right here, it's not a turnip."

"You should've made this longer," Luffy said firmly, taking a brush and going over a cross bone, "it looks weird your way."  
"Hey, cut that out!"

On second thought, this was going to be a long night.

**********

Portgas D. Ace

Ace woke up a little before dawn. He was surprised to see that Luffy wasn't in the room. He wasn't a morning person by any stretch of the imagination; then again, today was a special occasion, wasn't it? Ace stared at the ceiling for several long moments, trying to identify the sensation that sat heavily in his gut. It wasn't fear, definitely not that even though it was an emotion that he rarely experienced, but it was an odd feeling of excitement mixed with liberal amounts of anticipation. From now on he would only be moving forward—or die trying. The thought of returning to Fuschia in defeat didn't even cross his mind.

He had packed the night before, so all that was left was to wash up, get dressed, and head down for a quick breakfast. He immediately noticed that neither Luffy nor Hanley were in the tavern, which was a little confusing as they definitely weren't upstairs. Makino was wiping down the tables in preparation for the breakfast crowd, so he approached her.

"Oi, do you know where those two went?"

Makino smiled, "They're already at the docks."

Ace wasn't one to get emotional but dammit he came pretty close this time.

"Here," Makino said, walking around him and into the kitchen, "I made a special bentou for you. You'll be careful, won't you?"

Ace nodded and accepted the lunch box. "I will, I promise. Thanks for everything, Makino-san."

"You don't have to thank me. I enjoyed having the two of you here, even if it wasn't for that long. I'm happy."

The lunch box was wrapped in a plain, red cloth—his favorite color but he wasn't so surprised that Makino would remember something like that.

"Oh, you better put a top on before Hanley scolds you," Makino advised. Ace looked a little sheepish and scratched his head.

"Yeah, guess so. She worries too much." He set down his meal and dug into his bag. He yanked out a black vest and slipped it on.

"Good luck!" Makino called after him when he stepped outside.

The walk to the harbor wasn't a long one, but Ace took his time just the same.

'Well, this is it. Now the fun really starts.'

He spotted Luffy and Hanley up ahead by his small sailboat. Their backs were to him, and Hanley was scolding Luffy while he laughed at her. Business as usual, really.

"Yo!" he called, breaking them up. Luffy turned and waved wildly.

"Oi!"

Hanley looked a little embarrassed but smiled just the same. Ace's eyes flickered to the bag by her feet before Luffy grabbed his attention.

"We were trying to get this up before you got here," Luffy continued excitedly, "look, you like it, right??"

Ace followed his enthusiastic pointing to the length of black cloth lying on the deck of his boat. A large grin broke out on his face and he stepped closer.

"Hey, it's a Jolly Roger!"

At least, he thought it was supposed to be one. The skull and jaw were misshapen and the crossbones were wiggly and...wait, what was that?

"Hey, is that a turnip?" he asked. Ace turned when Luffy began snickering. Hanley's cheeks grew dark and she popped him on the head.

"Shut up, Luffy, it's a fucking spade, alright??"

Ace coughed and held up his hands.

"Oh, yeah, I see it now. You even wrote it out. Clearly a spade."

Hanley grumbled, "Damn right it's a spade..."

"It was my idea, though," Luffy interrupted, "even if Hanley drew a turnip--" Ace wisely didn't intervene when Hanley started beating his brother up.

"It's great, thanks. I'll be sure to hang it up when I get out to sea. Every pirate needs a symbol, right?"

Hanley paused in shaking his brother. "Um, yes! Here, I don't want to keep you so I'll go ahead and give you my presents."

"So I'm guessing it's still 'no,' Hanley?" Ace didn't really expect her to change her mind, but a part of him was still hoping Hanley would.

"No, what?" asked Luffy, adjusting his shirt.

"Oh, I just asked her to go with me."

"Oi! I already asked her, get your own!"

Hanley laughed, "I told you no already, kid. Here, Ace." Hanley handed him a stone, palm sized statue. Ace ran his fingertips over the familiar face.

"Jizo?" he asked, "I thought that it was a guardian for children."

"He is. But he's also a guardian for travelers, so Master Thai thought it would be appropriate."

"Master Thai? He didn't have to."  
"Yes, well, he suggested that you receive something else, but I put my foot down."  
"Oh, what?" Hanley rolled her eyes and shook her head, signaling that she wasn't going to tell what it was.

'It must have been something,' Ace thought, 'if she's blushing that furiously.'

"So children and travelers, huh?"

"And firemen. He's pretty flexible. Just take good care of him, okay? And this is my gift."

Ace's eyebrows nearly vanished into his hairline when he pulled her gift from the bag.

'Uh, what the hell?'

"A whip?" It was approximately nine to ten feet long and consisted of a foot long handle and a thong made of braided black leather. Ace stared, not quite sure what to do with it.

"It's a bullwhip!" Hanley said, beaming. Luffy's eyes practically shone with stars.

"Ooh, can I--

"NO," Ace and Hanley interrupted, not even pausing to think about what Luffy would do. Luffy grumbled and scuffed his toe on the pier.

"Not fun at all..."

Ace cleared his throat. "So, a whip? Why did you get me a whip?"

"It went with your hat."

Ace looked at her blankly.

"My hat?"

"Um, don't worry about it! I just...thought it would look really good with your...um, hat," she trailed off and tugged at her magatama. Then she tried to explain herself again, "I mean, you have this _thing_ going, a motif and it reminded me of something back home so I thought it'd be cool if I gave you a whip--"

Ace laughed softly, "Alright. Well, thank you for the whip," which sounded wrong, now that he thought about it. He bent and carefully stowed his loot on his boat.

"You'll, um, stay out of trouble, won't you?" Hanley asked once he was facing them again.

"I can't really promise that, but I'll—"

Then Hanley was in his arms and hugging him tightly.

He froze, he admitted it, because he'd never really been hugged like this before so he wasn't sure what to do with himself. His arms sort of hung there like useless weights, and with the difference in height his cheek just rested in the nook between her shoulder and her neck. Something did stand out for him, though.

'When exactly did Hanley get _those_? They can't have grown overnight but...' He hadn't noticed yesterday because of the baggy turtleneck, but they were rather hard to ignore when they were pressed against him like that.

Was it odd that it hadn't really sunk in that Hanley was a girl until, well, now?

"You're supposed to hug me back, Fool," she muttered. Ace couldn't help but smile at that as he carefully wrapped his arms around her back.

"Yes ma'am," answered Ace, voice soft.

"You better not die."

"I won't. Are you crying?"

"Why would I cry over you, you arrogant--" Whatever else she was going to say about his faults was cut off when Luffy moved around them and spoke.

"Hey, if you see Shanks, tell him 'thanks' for me, okay?"

"Will do. He's the one that saved my little brother's life, after all. And Hanley's, if I'm not mistaken."

Hanley nodded, still trying to squeeze the life out of him.

"Do you want me to give him a message?" Ace asked, politely ignoring her tears.

"Um...if you can, tell Ishamon-sensei that I'm doing fine, and...oh, tell Shanks that he had better be taking care of his lovely hair."

"Can't I tell the man something else?"

Hanley finally pulled back and pouted at him. Guess not.

Ace sighed, "Okay, okay, I'll tell Shanks to take care of his pretty hair."

"Thank you," Hanley said, laughing a bit. Then her smile faded and she looked at him, "I'll miss you."

"You'll see me again."

"Ace, I told you--"

"I know what you told me, Hanley. How long have you been here, now?"

"Seven years, but--"

"That's right. Seven years. I don't know where home is for you, but if it's someplace where you can't come back from, don't think we'll let you go so easily. It's selfish, but I'm in the mood to be selfish on this. If I thought it'd help, I'd drag you along anyway to get that through your stubborn head."

"Are you serious?"

"I got half a mind to, certainly. You might not like it, but you'll have to consider that you belong here, now."

"I know we're nakama, but what do expect me to do? Forget them?"

"I'd also appreciate it if you didn't leave us behind."

Hanley winced at that. Ace nodded and slipped out of her hold. He felt the difference in chill immediately, but he ignored it as he prepared his boat for departure.

"We're pirates, Hanley, don't think we're above stealing." She huffed and made a face at him.

Ace untied the mooring rope and hopped into his boat. He unfurled the sail with a quick tug.

"Well, bye then, you two! I'm heading out before you!"

Luffy smiled widely and nodded.

"Yup, when I set out to sea three years from now, I'll become stronger, too!...And so will Hanley."

Hanley wiped her eyes and gave him an exasperated look.

"Luffy, we've known each other for seven years, right?"

"Yup."

"And in all that time, you've constantly asked me if I wanted to join your crew, right?"

"Yup!"

"And in all that time, I've never agreed, right?"

"Yup!"

"So what does that tell you, Luffy?"

Luffy fell silent then, face screwing up as he thought about her answer. Just when it looked to get really painful, he suddenly brightened and grinned at her.

"That Hanley's still lazy!"

Hanley could only bury her face into her hands.

"Uh, good luck with that," Ace said in amusement. He pushed away from the dock and adjusted the position of his sail. Fortunately there was a tailwind blowing east, so at least he was off to a good start. Ace gave one last wave and headed off toward the horizon.

It didn't take too long for Fuschia, and Luffy and Hanley, to drop out of sight.

**********

Amano Hanley

"I miss him already," she muttered, feeling a little depressed. Hanley had plopped down on the pier to watch him sail off into the distance. That was a good hour ago, and he was long gone, but she still sat there. This was far different from when they wouldn't see each other for months at a time. At least then they were on the same island.

'I didn't think I'd regret my choice this much,' thought Hanley. She had known she'd be upset, but she had underestimated how much it would affect her.

Seriously underestimated it.

Luffy hummed. "We'll see him again."

"...Yeah, sure."

If he caught her lie he didn't press her about it. Luffy was annoyingly perceptive when she didn't _want_ him to be. After knowing him for years she still had no idea how someone so stupid could be so intuitive at the same time. Oh well, Luffy was one of a kind.

"I'm hungry, make me bacon," Luffy said a few moments later. Hanley chuckled and punched his shoulder.

"Idiot, is that all I'm good for?"  
"You're good at yelling."

'Thank you.'

"Hey, why do you want me to join your crew anyway?"

"You have scales." No hesitation, just blunt, unaltered truth.

"You wanted me to join your crew before the scales came into it."

"Oh, you were my nakama, then! You still are, but your scales are cool."

'Sometimes I really wish I can take your approach to things. My blood pressure will thank me for it, for starters.'

Luffy's face turned a bit serious.

"Oi, Hanley, he's right you know."

"Ace? So you're going to abduct me?"

"Shishi, count on it. I'm selfish, too."

"I see that." Stupid boys. Still, Hanley couldn't stop the smile that was threatening to show on her face.

"It's weird. I wanna help you find that Pears place, but if you're never comin' back then I don't really want to."

"I don't suppose you'll listen to me if I told you to butt out."

"Nope!"

"Yeah, thought so."

Hanley hadn't really planned on staying on for three more years after Ace left, but perhaps she should, now. Japan wasn't going anywhere, and it wouldn't be so bad to spend more time with Luffy before they parted ways. Yes, it wouldn't really hurt, would it? She hadn't completed her training anyway and she needed more money so it worked out. Better to be over-prepared and all that.

And she, maybe, kinda sorta, had a great deal of affection for the little monkey. And she, maybe, kinda sorta, loved the two of them as friends and she wasn't ready to leave them all just yet.

Maybe she'll be selfish, too, for a while.

Hanley ran her fingers through the other's hair. He accepted it like he usually did because most of the time he was hanging off her anyway so it worked out.

"Hey, Luffy? I've been thinking."

"'Bout what?"

"We should spar once in a while, what do you say?"

*

Master Thai looked up when she entered the house late in the afternoon.

"Oh, there you are. I'm surprised to see you come back."

Hanley looked at him in surprise. "...Did you know he was going to ask? That I go with him?" Master Thai gave a shrug and dropped his chisel onto the workbench.

"I had a feeling he would," came the calm response, "those two boys are the sort of people who tend to take what they want. Well, it's in their blood so maybe it can't be helped."

Hanley gave a soft snort and shook her head. She made her way over to him and leaned against him, burying her face into the bunched fabric on his shoulder.

"That must be nice," she said after a moment, voice muffled.

"It has its pros and cons. What are you thinking?"

"I miss him."

"Understandable. Why didn't you go?"

"Because I'm not here to have fun! Dammit, I'm worried about him and what he's doing now. I'm such an idiot!" Hanley cried, finally bursting into tears, "I'll never see him again and in three years Luffy will be gone, too! I feel like a traitor! I don't want to leave everyone here; I wish it was just the three of us again! But I feel guilty for feeling that way and...why? Why couldn't he stay here or something?? We could've..."

Krut Thai didn't say anything for a long time as she sobbed on his shoulder, merely letting her clutch at his clothes and leak tears and snot all over the place. After several minutes, he apparently had enough and placed a hand on her back.

"Stop that, girl. You made your choice, now live with it. You knew it was coming for seven years, don't be stupid."

Hanley sniffled, "But--"

"But nothing. Stop crying. You don't want to be a pirate, so why are you getting all wet now?" Master Thai sighed and shook his head, "I knew it would come to this."

Hanley rubbed her eyes, trying to obey his orders but having a really hard time with it. She was just surprised he let her hang onto him for so long. Master Thai liked to keep up a rigid barrier around his personal space.

'I must look really pathetic if he's feeling that sorry for me.'

"I know, Master, but it's just...I never thought I'd love you all so much. I certainly never expected to like _you_ much at all."

"The feeling is mutual, you exasperating brat," rumbled Krut Thai, "I've told you before, things are easier when you don't have emotions and relationships complicating things."

Hanley frowned and lightly hit his shoulder. "I said I never expected loving you all so much, not that I regretted it. I don't. I...I'm glad to know you, and Ace, and Luffy. I'm glad that I can visit Makino-san; you all make me happy."

Master Thai fell silent for a long moment before snorting and patting her back.

"How soppy. In any case, tell me how the visit went."

Hanley perked up a bit at the question.

"Well, it went fine. Ace liked his gifts and he sends his thanks. Oh! I fought him, you know."

"Oh ho? You actually got the nerve to do that? I had better contact the papers."

Hanley smiled and wiped her eyes. "Oh shut up. And people think _I'm_ the mean one."

"I never said I wasn't mean. More importantly, did you win?"

"He kicked my ass."

Krut Thai rolled his eyes and gave her a sideways glance.

"Did you charge him head first?"

Hanley looked a little sheepish. "Well, maybe?"

"What I have I taught you, silly girl? Well, no matter, it's a learning experience. Next time, try using my art more properly."

"It's not as if I was trying to assassinate him. It's a spar, not covert ops," Hanley muttered.

Krut Thai spoke, "You know what's going to happen, Hanley."

"Yeah..." she plopped down the bench and leaned against his back, "I fought Luffy, too. That went better, but he got me, too."

"Hmph. Both of them? I'll have to step up your training tomorrow—there is no way in hell I'll let Garp get the best of me."

"You're such a competitive bastard."

Master Thai grunted. "It would do you some good to have a bit more spirit."

"Maybe," Hanley agreed.

"And three years from now, what will you do?"

Hanley couldn't really answer him.

*

When she first dropped down into East Blue, Hanley only had one mission in mind: to go home. It wasn't going to be easy, but it was pretty straightforward—get the hell out of Dodge and back to Japan. The only reason she started training was so she could travel and defend herself in a world full of pirates and bandits. Again, straightforward.

Then she made friends, grew scales, got a part-time job, and lived in a supposedly fictional world for half of her life. Ten fucking years, to be exact.

Not surprisingly, this was the part where things ceased being straightforward.

Figments of imagination or not, this place was real and wonderful in its own way. Even if she didn't really belong, leaving would be even more difficult now. She liked to think that she would still do it when the opportunity finally presented itself.

But things happened when you know someone for a decade and you create a bond—affection sets in and grows into some form of love and it gets to the point where you genuinely worry about never seeing them again. Hanley knew she was being stupid on many counts but the whole thing really bothered her.

Sometimes, Hanley worried that the people back home were no longer who she thought they were. She was fooling herself if she thought she knew any of them at this point. Not that she remained the same, either. She cut her hair even shorter, trimming the sides closer to her head and leaving a center strip since she decided she liked it better that way. More importantly, it was easier to take care of since she spent a great deal of her time underwater. Her scales covered a lot of her body now: arms, legs, back, the backs of her hands and feet. Her head was mercifully spared, as were the softer, fleshier parts of her body. Hanley, to put it bluntly, stuck out like a sore thumb, and she doubted she'd fit in back home.

Even without her freaky appearance, things had changed on a more personal level. Now, Hanley knew that Ace liked spicy food, that Luffy liked anything as long as meat was involved and Master Thai had a sweet tooth about as large as Eagle's Peak. She knew Master Thai liked musicals and had a pretty decent singing voice if you caught him at the right time. She figured out that Ace and Luffy were far more likely to fall asleep while eating, and it had gotten to the point where she could usually catch them the moment their words became slurred or their shoulders slumped.

Hanley knew that despite his boasts Luffy really was incredibly humble, and that Ace, on the other hand, could be insufferably arrogant and wasn't above showing it if he was in the mood. She knew that part of the reason Master Thai didn't go into town much was due to a fierce dislike of crowds that bordered on fear, and he would rather die than let it show.

Knowledge of her new loved ones had gradually taken higher priority over the people she left back home.

'I wonder...do Grandpa and Grandma and the rest even care if I'm gone anymore,' Hanley thought as she shifted into a more comfortable position on the tree limb, 'it's been a decade, they must think me dead and have moved on.'

Hanley lay sprawled on her stomach, and while it was a little uncomfortable she had spent the early morning dozing on and off. She was on her way to Green Harbor, but then considering what day it was she couldn't bring herself to go to work.

But she would have to move soon—it was Luffy's birthday, after all. He was leaving this afternoon and Hanley had another decision to make. She had wanted to see him the day before, but the idiot was nowhere to be found for some reason so it was no good.

"Idiot," she grumbled, "I wanted to see him. I actually got his gift on time, too. He loves making me worry." He was exactly like Ace in that regard. It had been three years and not one letter. The only way they got any news of him was in the paper, which was far from comforting. Hanley had watched as his bounty sky rocketed and maybe it was just as well she would never see him again. At this point she'd have cheerfully ended his life for his lack of consideration. Luffy, of course, thought the entire thing was beyond cool.

'Still, I want to go with you, Luffy, but...'

"There you are!"

Hanley screamed and barely managed to stay on the tree branch.

"Monkey D--"

"Master Thai said you'd be here," Luffy continued cheerfully, unaware of how close he was to getting punched in the throat, "so, you ready?"

Hanley winced, this is what she was afraid of, and turned to face him. He hadn't changed too much in three years, only becoming taller. He had taken to wearing a red vest and long shorts—his straw hat, of course, was ever present. Sometimes Hanley couldn't believe that he was seventeen years old and, in effect, no longer a child. It didn't help he didn't act like the young man he was supposed to be.

Hanley raked her fingers through her hair and placed her foot on his chest to push him back.

"What are you doing way out here? I thought you'd be asleep," Hanley asked.

Luffy gave her a look and pushed her foot off to the side.

"I came to get you so we can go," he replied, "you always go so slow so I thought I'd better drag you."

'This is not going to go over well.'

Luffy continued before she could answer, "And I got you something, too! It took a while since I had to ask Makino for help."

Hanley was torn between cooing and running in the other direction. More often than not, however, Luffy's ideas caused her to do the latter.

"So, let's go!"

Hanley shook her head. "I'll go with you to Fuschia, but that's as far as I'm going, Luffy." She rolled off the branch and landed lightly on the ground far below. Back home the fall would have broken some bones if not kill her. It had taken her years to get used to this world's odd concept of physics, but she mostly got the hang of it.

"Eh, Ace said you'd say that," Luffy complained.

"What? You two talk about me?" Why she was so surprised to hear that Hanley really didn't know. Then dread set in because who knows what they said about her.

"Yeah, 'course we do. You're funny." She was going to take that as a good thing.

'Happy to hear that my suffering is so amusing to watch. It's what I'm here for,' Hanley thought, rolling her eyes.

Luffy grabbed her hand and began dragging her down the road to the south. His sense of direction was bad, but even he had learned the island's geography after spending years traveling across it. Hanley let him drag her for now, as she was going that way anyway, but she was going to have to figure out a way to refuse him and _fast_. Luffy was too stubborn, though, it was going to be difficult.

"I can't believe it's been three years already," Hanley muttered as they walked. This part of the island was covered in rolling, green hills that wouldn't level out until one reached the coasts. There wasn't much to look at out here; unfortunate, as she would have given anything to be able to distract Luffy from his impending departure.

"Really? I couldn't wait! I thought this time would _never_ get here."

'Not surprised to hear that, not surprised at all.'

"We're going to have a lot of fun, Hanley!"

"Luffy..." Hanley had never felt so bad. It was different with Ace—at least he wasn't so single minded about the entire thing. She had managed to reclaim her hand a while ago, when Luffy was sure she was following and could keep up.

"And I'm gonna get a lot of treasure. Shishi, we'll be rich! You like that kind of stuff, right?"

"Hey now, I'm a progressive girl, Hanuman! I can get those things on my own. Besides, right now, I'm certain I'm the one with the paying job, right?"

Luffy nodded. "Yup, probably."

'Um, certainly...unless you got a job while I wasn't looking. And I doubt that.'

"Now, that said, if you want to smother me with jewels and fine clothes, I won't stop you. As a matter of fact, feel free! The bigger the stone and the softer the fabric, the better."

"Oh, so Hanley does like rings, I thought so."

"Thought, huh?" Hanley reached up and tugged his hair. "Hey, you know, I can't believe it's been ten years since we've first met. You've gotten so big."

"So have you!"

'Ugh, don't remind me.'

"I've never seen a girl so big before," continued Luffy.

"Yeah, lucky me." Dammit.

Luffy went on to talking about his plans (which really consisted of head in one direction until he hit something), and his long term goal was to gather a crew and ship large enough to tackle the Grand Line. At least ten people, and he was looking for a musician first of all. Hanley suggested he find a navigator, or, hell, a proper first mate, before moving on to entertainment, but those little details were quickly ignored in favor of singing a song to pass the time.

'Oh god, I fear for his future crew! Why haven't we gotten him medicated by now?'

When they reached the outskirts of Fuschia, Luffy finally stopped singing (Hanley didn't care how cute he was, if she heard him hum even _one more note_ she was going to tie his rubber neck into a knot and tell Ace that it was an accident). He gave her an unreadable look.

"Ace told me you were probably going to get all weird right now."

'He thought right.'

Luffy continued, "And do something stupid."

"What? Stupid?"

"'Cause Hanley can be stupid sometimes."

"...Death awaits the both of you."

"Hanley worries all the time, even though me an' Ace are there with her. Idiot, like we'd let anything bad happen!"

Hanley found herself blushing and mumbled something in return.

"Well, Ace isn't here anymore, so it's just the two of us, now," he said.

"Yes, you're right..." Hanley let Luffy take the lead once more, too deep in thought to do it herself. So that was how they felt. It seemed obvious now, and Hanley had no idea how she could have missed it.

'No, I have some idea. I really am stupid. But, I feel the same way—I'd rather die than let anything happen to any of them. I'd rather die!'

Hanley had been so obsessed of getting back home that she didn't exactly realize what she had here. God, what was she going to do??

"Hanley," Luffy said, interrupting her thoughts, "I was told to bring you to Makino's place."

"Hm? O-Oh, sure."

Maybe Japan was nothing more than a dream she had while laying feverish in the middle of the ocean? Hanley shook her head, dismissing that thought as soon as it came. She tugged on her magatama, agitated. This was such _bullshit_--

"Master Thai??" she cried when she entered the tavern. He was perched at the bar, and the furniture next to him only made him look larger than usual. He had been talking to Makino-san and drinking a large tankard of what she could only assume was alcohol. Hanley returned Makino's wave and gave her master a look.

"Don't be so surprised, Hanley," Thai said.

'You make it sound as if you leave the house on a regular basis!'

"I have every right to be surprised! Why are you here?"

"Do you hear that, Makino-san? She can be so disrespectful."

"I am not—ooh, stop teasing me, won't you?"

"Oi, do you have our lunches made, Makino?" asked Luffy, darting past her.

Master Thai motioned for her to come closer and have a seat. She saw a large duffel bag lying on the ground by his feet. Was he going somewhere? That would be...really unlike him.

"So. Master Thai. You're here," Hanley repeated.

"Naturally. I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't see you off."

"That makes—what the fuck are you talking about?"

Krut Thai gave her a look before nodding his head at the bag by his feet.

"I packed your things. It's time you got the hell out of my house, Hanley."

Hanley stared at him, trying to breathe but the lump in her throat made that all but impossible.

"You're...kicking me out."

"Fuck right I am."

"B-But my training! It's not complete."  
"It's not. However, you're at the point that you're more than capable of taking over. And besides, there's nothing like real world experience."

'I don't believe this, that old bastard can't kick me out! Why is he doing this?? Does he--'

"Don't look at me like that, either," he mumbled, appearing uncomfortable, "it's high time you left, Hanley. I'm pushing you out of the nest, so to speak; it's time you spread your wings or however that metaphor's supposed to go."

Hanley slumped against the bar. This wasn't what she planned for! She looked at him again and knew he was dead serious about it. He wasn't going to let her take one step onto Eagle's Peak. Fine, she'll just live in Green Harbor until--

"Go with Luffy, Hanley."

Hanley frowned. "Master--"

"I'd rather not have you cry all over me and be miserable again. Yes, it would be easier if you were able to focus solely on your goal; yes, it would be easier if you didn't sail under a pirate flag. Those facts are undeniable. However, you wouldn't really be living, would you?"

"Living?"

Master Thai nodded.

"There's a difference between merely being alive and living. I should know."

"I don't know what to say," whispered Hanley.

'Refuse. I should refuse and...'

"You've spent half your life on this tiny island. Go out and see what the world has to offer. Then, if you still wish to go home, you can honestly say that you have no regrets. Don't be scared, it will be fine."

Hanley rubbed her eyes, telling herself she was not going to cry, and took a deep breath. Makino was smiling gently at her and Luffy was nearly beside himself with excitement. Hanley mechanically bent and picked up the sack, still trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. She had to be responsible about this! If only she could tell them that this was just one big manga and she really didn't belong here. Perhaps she should? No, then she'd sound crazy.

"Come on, Hanley! Our boat's waiting!"

'This is too fast. Way too fast! They're forcing me to leave!'

"Um, I--" she tried, but Luffy wouldn't be swayed and Master Thai was shuffling her along if she started to lag behind. It seemed as if the whole village of Fuschia was waiting for them as they reached the tiny harbor. Master Thai calmly took her bag and put it in the small sailboat. She saw it was already packed with Luffy's things, small boxes, and a barrel she had to assume held their food supply.

'It's really happening...' Hanley's face burned with embarrassment and anger. She opened her mouth to shout at them (how dare they just ignore what she wanted and lead her around like some child), but Luffy was suddenly in front her, holding up his hands.

"Here it is, Hanley!"

"What are you shoving in my face, Monkey?"

It was a ring. It was a simple, silver band that had some engraving on it, but she could see it was a little worn from age. The ring was most likely second hand, but still nice. No doubt Makino did give Luffy some help in picking it out—it wasn't the sort of thing he could come up with by himself. Hanley's anger faded and she gave him a grin.

"Hey, it's pretty!"

Luffy nodded and spoke, "Yeah, so you'll stay, right? Makino said you would." Hanley blinked in confusion and looked at the tavern owner. Makino looked a little puzzled herself before giving a small gasp.

"Oh! Er, Luffy, when I told you about that I didn't mean..."

'I am missing something. I know I am missing something.'

"What are you talking about?" Hanley asked, dread filling her belly. Luffy smiled widely at her.

"Well, I told you I didn't want you to leave and never come back, right?"

"Yeah, I remember." It was irritating, but she could understand how he felt. The situation was so complicated Hanley really didn't feel like thinking about it herself right now. Or ever.

"But you had other things you wanted to do, right? Like that marriage thing."

"Yeah, I'd still like for that to happen." Not that it would. She'd be fucking lucky if she could find a guy that wouldn't be repulsed by snake scales. Coupled with her fear of losing her legs and growing a tail, Hanley had to wonder—wait a moment, where was he going with this? She looked at the ring and then at his earnest expression.

'Oh, hell no.'

"Makino-san," Hanley began, knowing who was responsible for giving him ideas, "what did you tell him?"

Makino had the grace to look sheepish.

Luffy didn't notice Hanley's expression and kept talking.

"So I asked Makino about it! She said that husbands and wives are a special kind of nakama and that have to stay together. So, there. You don't have to worry about leaving anymore."

'Fuck he looks proud of himself...thinks he killed two birds with one stone. Except for the fact that he _totally missed the point_! No, calm down, I shouldn't be so surprised. It's not like he's had a good idea of how marriage works. Garp-san's a widower and he's never lived with a married couple. I can handle this.'

And if she were honest, it couldn't be more cute if there was a kitten playing with a ball of yarn by his feet.

"Luffy, that's not exactly how marriage works," Hanley stated, trying to ignore all of the adults giving them _looks_.

Master Thai, however, crossed his arms.

"What do you think you're doing, brat? I can't accept this."

_'Bless you,_ Master Thai, the voice of reason! You'll set him straight and then I'll just--'

"You have to ask for my permission, first," he finished, looking quite serious. Hanley's jaw dropped.

"Oh, I do? Sorry. So, can I?" asked Luffy.

"Sure, why not?" The way Master Thai's lips were twitching Hanley could see he was very, very amused.

'I hate you both.' Maybe she should count her blessings Ace wasn't here after all. He'd have killed himself from laughing by now. 'Dammit, Luffy! What, are you going to marry _every_ nakama that threatens to leave? Shit.'

Master Thai smirked at her. "I never thought this day would come so soon."

"Luffy," Hanley growled, "get in the boat before my urge to kill becomes uncontrollable."

"Yeah, we should leave anyway!" Luffy agreed, not even blinking an eye at her glare.

The fishmonger chuckled and cheerfully gave Luffy a hearty slap on the back.

"So young and you already have a lovely wife!" Hanley practically snarled at him. "It'll only be good things from now on. Which way are you headed?"

"West!" Luffy cried, pointing out to the sea.

The villagers stared at him.

The fishmonger coughed and carefully pushed Luffy's arm to the right.

"We're facing south; west is that way."

"Oh, well, we go that way!"

'God, if you can hear me, save me! Save me now or strike me dead! I'm going to go _insane_!!!'

"Hanley," said Master Thai, placing a hand on her shoulder. Hanley gave him a glare and looked away. Master Thai gave a snort. "Don't be that way. Not now."

'When I probably won't come back to Fuschia,' Hanley finished. She winced and gave him a weak smile.

"I'm sorry, what is it?"

Master Thai hesitated before sighing, "I used to hate you, you know."

"...Because of her, right? The woman I look like." Hanley asked, eyebrows raising.

"You look more like her now than ever. But I have to say that I—well, I know now it doesn't matter who you take after. I ought to have known that in the first place. You are nothing like that woman. Hanley, I want you to burn her name into your mind. Kadru Handerson is to be avoided, do you understand me? This goes for you, too, Luffy. If you even hear her name I want you to run as fast as you can in the other direction. I don't know her plans, or if she even has any, but avoid her at all costs. She is...beyond cruel."

Luffy's eyes were focused totally on Master Thai; it was clear he was aware of how serious the situation became. They would be leaving the safety of the island, and things would only become more difficult from now on. More fantastic, yes, but far more difficult.

Master Thai continued, "She will have red hair and green eyes, and she will be very beautiful. She will try to sway you with sweet words and false love. Run. Sometimes the most dangerous things come in the most unassuming packages. Can you do this for me? Do you promise?"

"I—I promise, but, Master, who is she to you?"

Master Thai's face went blank as he considered her question. Hanley had to ask now—she may never really get the chance again. Finally, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small, jadeite statue. Hanley immediately recognized the Jizo that Garp-san gave to Master Thai all those years ago. She never quite figured out the significance of it. He placed the statue in the palm of her hand and curled her fingers around it.

"I had a daughter."

The villagers turned in surprise at that statement, but their shock was nothing compared to Hanley's. Still, it made a terrible amount of sense. His obsession with the bodhisattva could really only point to one thing, couldn't it?

"I only saw her once, a long time ago. She had traveled a long way for help." The harbor was silent, and they were all watching him. Master Thai's past was largely a secret. There was an abundance of rumors, of course, but everyone had too much respect (and fear, perhaps) for him to really pry.

"What happened to her?" asked Hanley, although she had a good idea.

"I denied her. I hated her mother and did not trust her. She was one of _them_; I thought it was a ploy and I was too angry and bitter. Naturally, I never saw her again. I have never regretted anything more than that moment. She may have had her mother's blood, but she also held mine and I...I will never forget the look on her face when I turned her away. It's something that can never be taken back. No do-overs; just the knowledge that you were the cause of your child's death."

For a long moment, Hanley thought he was going to cry, but Krut Thai simply took her hand and helped her into the boat. She felt oddly numb as he confessed his sins to her. She was barely aware of sitting down in the boat.

"The moment I saw you, I recognized who you were immediately." Master Thai untied the small sailboat from the pier. "Hate is like fire, it does not care what it consumes as long as it is fed. I learned that much too late. I came to see you as a way to redeem myself; although, that was a foolish notion as well."

Hanley's eyes and throat were burning by the time she managed to ask another question.

"And this Jizo?"

"My daughter left that for me on my doorstep. I did not understand its message at the time, and I passed it along to Garp a few years later when his grandchild was on the way. But it seems that idiot understood more than I ever did. It is your right, Hanley. Take care of it." He pushed the boat away from the pier. She dimly heard Luffy scamper behind her, unfurling the sail to catch the wind. The villagers called and waved as they floated further into the distance.

Hanley, however, could only stare at Krut Thai. Her hands curled around the Jizo and ring until they shook. She had to say something, but what could she say in the face of that? Hanley wanted to feel angry, but instead, all she felt was tiredness.

Master Thai's gaze followed them until they disappeared over the horizon.

*

There was a slight headwind, so Luffy was unable to point the craft due west like he wanted, but it didn't bother him as he plopped down onto the floor of the boat with a happy sigh. Hanley largely ignored him—she was too busy thinking and staring at the objects in her hands.

"You're real quiet, Hanley," Luffy observed.

"I'm just...thinking, Luffy."

"You think too much."

"I know," Hanley answered, eyes filling with tears, "Luffy, do you know the number one reason why I wanted to go home?"

"Nope."

"I didn't belong here, Luffy. No matter what happened, I was so sure that home was the place where I really belonged. I thought this was just one giant fluke; an accident meant for someone else and I just happened to be caught along for the ride. I thought I would have that reason, no matter what. But now I'm not so sure! Why didn't Master Thai tell me sooner?? How can I really come from a place that some hack mangaka made up?? It's a fucking story, but--" She sobbed and angrily wiped her eyes. She was tired of these complications. And it would only get worse, she could feel it.

"I've decided, Luffy. I...I want to live! I want to have fun and go places and see new things! I want to meet new people and sail with you until the end. I want to see Ace and Shanks and Ishamon-sensei. I want to be there when you finally become the Pirate King. I want answers to my questions. I'm sorry I took so long, but I'm not going to leave you anytime soon!"

"Yosh!" Luffy cried, throwing his arms into the air, "Let's sail, Hanley! To a brand new adventure!"

Hanley laughed and ruffled his hair. "I'll even keep your stupid ring. But you owe me a better one when you get your hoard, okay?"

"Right!" Luffy turned his attention to the bright blue sky. The sun was shining and the weather was flawless. "It's a good day to set out to sea!"

"Mmhmm. Happy Birthday, Hanuman."

"Shishi, thank you, Wife."

"Um, yeah, don't call me that."

"That's what you are."

"Oh, we're going to be talking about that, trust me."

"You'll probably be doing most of the talking, though."

"Glad you picked that up. It only took you _years_--" They were interrupted by a loud crash and a roar. The sea before them surged and a giant eel emerged from beneath the surface. It was huge, with slimy, greenish-brown skin and blue fins. Its sharp, pointy fangs protruded from its mouth.

"Oh, it's our local sea monster," said Luffy.

"Is that what he looks like? I've never seen him! I half want to ask if Ursula's nearby."

"Who?"

"Nothing. Um, do you want to get him, or...?"

"Yeah, we got a score to settle." Luffy stood and wound back, bracing his shoulder with his opposite hand. "Sorry, I have to do this, but here's an attack I've been perfecting since the last time we met! Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"

The attack was dead on, catching the sea king on the jaw and sending it flying. Hanley placed a hand over her racing heart and sighed. She'd have to toughen up if she was going to make it out here. She refused to let Luffy do all the work.

"That was pretty good, Hanuman."

"Thanks! You got the next one!"

'Joy.'

"Here I come, world! Look out!"

'No amount of warnings will prepare them for you, I'm sure of that.'

"Oh, Hanley, what'd you get me?"

Hanley blinked then winced. Oh, yeah, that.

"Oh, sorry, I left it behind. I was sort of _forced_ to go along, wasn't I?" Luffy looked unimpressed, however, and slowly shook his head.

"You suck as a wife, Hanley."

"I told you not to call me that!!! And shut up laughing, already! Arg!"

'God, whatever I have done to deserve this, I am so, so sorry.'

**********

_To be continued_.

Mwa ha, they've finally left Fuschia! It only took me about...one hundred thousand words or so. We also learn a little more about Hanley's origins. It's all becoming clearer (or more convoluted). In any case, please review! They really motivate me!


	8. Interlude I

Wow, so, I totally feel bad right now. It's been forever since I updated, and I just wanted to let you guys know that it is coming! Seriously! I just had a mean case of writer's block (which is weird, because when I was making crap up I was fine, but now that I'm properly on the manga storyline I...run out of steam...who would've guessed? XD). But now I'm mostly over it, so out of celebration and apology, I give to you...

The Interlude~ (um, insert mysterious gesture here)

Basically, The Interludes will be dispersed randomly throughout my fic and are really just little scenes that I think up as I go but have no real place in the main body of the work. They won't follow any kind of chronological order and they won't be _nearly_ as long or involved as the chapters themselves. Of course, since I'm the only idiot around here that averages twenty-five pages per update, The Interludes will probably, usually, be normal chapter length in their own right...haha, ugh .

This is dedicated to everyone who's reviewed, faved, alerted, or whatev. Thank you guys, without your motivation this would be gathering dust on my hard-drive!

_Hanley_

Interlude I: The Chivalrous Ace and Luffy

**********

Amano Hanley

"We," Hanley announced, standing above Ace and Luffy, "are going shopping."

She was met with blank stares.

Hanley sighed and scratched her cheek. This was why she wanted a girl friend, but between living on the remote Eagle's Peak, her training, and her part time job in Green Harbor, frankly, Hanley was lucky she had friends at _all_.

It was July 3, two days after her fourteenth birthday, and Ace and Luffy had stopped by on their way back to Dadan's from Fuschia. It was a nice summer day, and a Sunday, so Hanley really wanted to take this opportunity to go out and have some fun. Marxby was nice enough to give her a bonus as a gift, and she wanted to use it.

Really, was it too much to ask for a couple of outfits that _weren't_ dedicated to training?

Ace carefully swallowed his mouthful of food and cleared his throat. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought he was trying to delay the inevitable.

"Shopping, you say?"

"I do say! Come on, it'll be fun!" answered Hanley, smiling widely.

"What do you need us for?" Luffy asked, not looking particularly excited.

"Because I need your opinions. You're all I got, unfortunately."

"But--" Ace started.

"Thank you!"

Master Thai snickered and turned the page of his morning paper.

"You poor bastards should just give up."

Hanley glared at him but was calmly ignored in favor of the editorials. She sighed and waved her hands.

"Okay, look lively, gentlemen! We have to get a good start!"

"Well, I guess there's nothing for it. Where are we going?" Ace questioned, hauling himself to his feet. Luffy stuffed a bit more meat into his mouth before following his example.

"Green Harbor! Eagle's Peak doesn't have the shops I want."

"What's the difference?"

"There's a difference."

Ace held up his hands and shook his head.

"Y'know, Hanley, I can't help but think your time with Master Thai has made you more open to torture--"

"Haha. No, really. Anyway, you can look for things, too, you know."

"We don't go shopping."

"That's obvious. Luffy probably spends all of his money on food--"

"Sure do," he answered, shamelessly.

"And you're so cheap you'll probably wait until your pants disintegrate before getting a new pair."

Ace looked a bit sheepish, but didn't bother trying to refute anything she said.

"So," Hanley continued, "why don't you think of this as a...I dunno, adventure?"

"Isn't that a bit of a stretch? Going into Green Harbor clothing stores is hardly an exercise wrought with peril."

"This is going to be so boring, Hanley," grumbled Luffy.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose Ace is man enough to escort me by himself. You can go back and wait with Master Thai—"

"No, I'll come!"

"I'm so fortunate to have such a strong man as a friend, Luffy!"

Ace gave Hanley a look and she shrugged.

"It's not my fault he's so easy."

"Well, yeah, you got a point."

**********

Portgas D. Ace

'This is not how I wanted to spend my day off,' Ace thought, resigned to the fact that they were going to be Hanley's pack mules for the rest of the day. They had already been to three shops so far, and Ace had no clue _what_ Hanley was looking for, because it all looked to be the same to him.

Although, to be fair, he might want to get another vest or two.

Luffy nudged him with his shoulder to get his attention, as his arms were full with skirts and dresses and other things Ace couldn't be bothered to examine.

"Oi, Ace, why're all these ladies looking at us like that?"

"Luffy, don't think about it and try not to make eye contact."

Ace never thought he would be thinking this, but he was beginning to come to the conclusion that women scared him. Surely there was no shame in that, he told himself while holding Hanley's bag (why she couldn't take it in the dressing room with her HE will never know—wouldn't that be easier?). The knowing looks were unsettling and the giggles gave him an acute sense of paranoia that he hadn't felt since Garp last dropped by.

"Ace?"

"Yeah?"

"...I don't think I like shopping very much."

"It'll be over soon," Ace assured, even though he had a feeling it wasn't going to be. But what else could he do? Luffy was his brother, he had to do something.

There were very few men about, Ace noticed, and the few that were had these...looks to them. Tired, blank faced, and it was enough to get his adrenalin going.

'I wonder, will that be our future?'

"Okay guys," Hanley chirped from behind the curtain, "I want you to be honest okay?"

"If we're honest, do you think we can leave?" Ace asked hopefully.

"We'll be done soon, don't be impatient."

"I...distinctly recall you saying that two stores ago. And I'm pretty sure it's way past soon."

"And the last time I was honest you didn't like it," Luffy added.

Hanley poked her head out and scowled. "You told me I looked funny, Luffy!"

"That's because you did."

She made a face and stepped out. Hanley held out her arms and looked at them expectantly. Ace recognized it as the dress Hanley spent a good three minutes staring at before taking it off the rack. And then she spent another two minutes turning it over in her hands before deciding it would be worth the time to try it on. It was green and very simple, with long sleeves and reached just above her knees. Ace looked her over and came to the exact same conclusion as all the other times she asked him that question.

'It's a dress. A nice dress I suppose, but a dress. I know nothing about dresses because I would rather swallow rusty nails than be caught dead in one. You look fine, Hanley, what do you want from me??'

Of course, Hanley couldn't hear his desperate, internal cries, so she spun around—as if it would help, he still didn't _know—_and began talking.

"Okay, what do you think? Is it the right color? The right fit? I'm not sure about the fabric..."

Ace and Luffy really could do little more than look at her.

Hanley crossed her arms. "Well?"

"I like green. You look nice in green," Ace quickly answered. He relaxed a bit when she smiled and nodded. He couldn't use that answer too much, though, she'll catch on.

"Thank you! Okay, I think I'll get this one...well, I don't know--"

"Please get it, Hanley."

"Oh, well, sure. Let me try on one other thing and we can leave." Luffy groaned and shuffled his feet. Ace had to hand it to her, she actually got Luffy to stay in one place, somehow. "There's a sale on! I have to get something else so it'll be half off! One second." She went back inside and Ace made a solemn vow that Hanley would have to do something ridiculous to get him to go shopping with her ever again.

'Maybe this time she'll mean it.' Ace noticed a man looking over in their direction—middle-aged, average build with dark hair—and when he saw that Ace was looking back at him, he gave them a sympathetic look before turning his gaze out the window. 'I guess he's stuck here, too.'

"Hanley, whatever it is you're trying on I'm sure it'll look wonderful."

"Nice try, Ace," she called back.

"It was worth a shot."

"Yeah, yeah." A few moments later Hanley opened the curtains and she was once again wearing what she put on this morning. "But I'll take your word for it this time. I owe you guys some ice cream, right?"

Ace barely refrained from pumping his fist. It was a very, very close thing.

"Did Luffy fall asleep while standing up?"

'Can you blame him?' "I got him, go check out."

"Sure." Hanley took her bag, some of the articles of clothing out of Luffy's arms, and headed to the front counter.

As Ace was shaking his younger brother awake he heard footsteps approaching and glanced behind him. It was the same man from earlier, and he looked extremely amused.

"I see you're finally being set free," he commented casually. Ace raised an eyebrow before shrugging. He could be polite.

"Yeah, finally."

"Women, eh? Although, I've never seen one that looked so interesting before."

'Oh, the scales. You better be glad she didn't hear that.' It was pretty inevitable that Hanley got looks whenever she happened into town. It got better over the years, but there was always that one person that got too curious.

Luffy was now fully awake at the prospect of ice cream, and Ace was ready to brush the man off as another ignorant gawker when he said something else that made the brothers stop in their tracks.

"...What the hell did you just say?"

**********

Amano Hanley

'All in all, not bad, I guess. I wonder if I should break it to them that I still have to find a pair of shoes,' thought Hanley has she helped the sales clerk fold up her purchases. This time it would be more for practicality's sake, as her sandals were on their last legs. The material was simply too worn to even patch up.

'Well, there's a shoe store just down the street, I can duck in their real fast and pick out something in my size and--'

Something shot past her and went through the store window with a horrifying crash.

The clerk behind the counter screamed, as did several other bystanders. Hanley could now see that it was an unremarkable man that flew past, not too old or young, fat or thin, lying in the mess of glass shards and window displays. He was bleeding profusely from several lacerations and his face was already swelling. She gaped for a moment before whipping her head around to Ace and Luffy.

"What the fuck, you two??" Hanley screeched. She knew they did it, who else in the store could have? Ace looked tense and Luffy was idly messing with his straw hat. "_Well_?"

When it became apparent that Ace was unable to answer due to his clenched teeth, Luffy decided to be helpful and speak up.

"He fell." So much for helpful.

"The fu—fell??"  
Ace took a deep breath and shrugged.

"We tried to stop him, but he was much too fast for us. Come on, you probably wanna go to another store, right?" His hand was lightly on her back and steering her out of the store, away from the chaos.

"I," Hanley paused and blinked. "I thought you guys wanted to get done, so..."

"Don't worry about it. It's boring, but you wanna do it so we'll go. But we still get our ice cream, right?" asked Luffy, dragging her out the door.

"Y-Yeah, sure," she mumbled.

"I'm looking forward to it," Ace added.

'Okay, what just happened?'

**********

Wow, I hope that wasn't too crappy XD. I'll see y'all again shortly-ish!


	9. Strange Love

And I'm back, everyone! It was a long time coming, I apologize for that.

I have rather mixed feelings about this chapter—I won't go deep into it but you know it gave me a hard time. As always, any thoughts are appreciated.

Special thanks to Spellcaster Hikaru for beta-ing! I appreciate you taking the time out of your schedule to do so. Thanks also goes to those who have reviewed, alerted, favorited, what have you. You guys are really great. I mean, like, nearly fifty reviews! I'm nearly beside myself with glee! ;A; I am so moved.

So go on and read it, I won't keep y'all!

_Hanley_

Chapter Seven: Hanley's Strange Love, Or How She Learned to Stop Worrying and Love One Piece

**********

Roronoa Zoro

Honestly, Zoro really had very little idea where his love for swords and swordsmanship came from. His resolve had strengthened when he made his promise with Kuina, true, but he wanted to be the best even before he happened upon their dojo in Shimotsuki all those years ago.

Roronoa Zoro was all of three years old when he realized his mother was worse than useless—she had spent all of her time drinking and was too weak to hold it very well. His father was a little better, at least in the sense that the man was completely sober the one time he came home. There was definitely no love lost between his parents, and his father had only hung around long enough to verify that, yes, Zoro was indeed his son...right before he headed off to who knows where.

However, that man's image remained sharp in Zoro's memory no matter how many years had passed, when even his mother's face had faded around the edges. His father had been a swordsman—his name was Diego and had had some fame—and perhaps that's where it all started. Their absence had left him free to travel at any rate, so it was probably for the best.

Nowadays, Zoro found himself thinking about the past a lot. It wasn't really like him; after all, it was done and over with and nothing he did would bring it back anyway. All he could do was look ahead and work to achieve his goal, which took up enough of his time and energy without complicating his life with flashbacks. However, as he suddenly found himself with a great deal of time on his hands, there wasn't much to do but think and sleep.

And even he couldn't sleep _all_ the damn time.

The days felt incredibly long, and so far he had spent, what, eight, nine days baking out here in the sun? The Marines were "kind" enough to give him water whenever they thought of it, which was good news for him; otherwise, under this intense heat, he would have dehydrated long before he served his sentence. No food, though, that was the deal.

Zoro sighed and rolled his neck in a futile attempt to relieve the ache. He could practically feel his muscles begin to atrophy stretching his arms was impossible as the ropes had next to no give. While he half-hoped someone would have the balls (or be stupid enough, either was fine) to let him out, Zoro wasn't going to hold his breath over it.

He raised his head at the sound of footsteps approaching, but quickly rolled his eyes and sighed when he saw his visitor.

"And how are we doing this morning? You look a little hungry." And here was the reason for his imprisonment: Helmeppo, the weak, snivelling, bastard son of Lieutenant Morgan. He looked particularly smug today, with two Marine guards for protection and a plateful of food. Zoro's stomach clenched at the sight, and it pissed him off enough to make him growl and lunge angrily.

Helmeppo nearly knocked over one of his guards when he leaped backward; Zoro couldn't help but grin at the sight.

"Actually, I'm just fine. I'm not hungry at all."

An obvious bluff as anyone would be starving after nine days, but with his reputation the intimidation worked well. Both the Marines and Helmeppo looked put off by his attitude, and the three of them were quick to leave, with Helmeppo throwing some threats back at him as he left the courtyard.

Zoro had long tuned him out.

'Little bastard is hardly worth my time,' he thought sleepily, yawning as the heat made him sluggish, 'no good deed goes unpunished, huh? How true.' Zoro could faintly hear some Marines off in the distance, but it was quiet for the most part. He stretched his legs out and resumed dozing off, having little else to do but conserve his strength for the future.

The sun was now directly overhead the next time Zoro opened his eyes. He had a migraine and was practically drenched in sweat.

'This is so damn stupid. When I get out of here I'm going to wring that bastard's neck.'

Maybe he'll have better luck today.

**********

Hanley

The ship was cramped, there was next to no privacy, and neither Hanley nor Luffy knew where exactly they were going. Despite this, Hanley found herself having the time of her life. She had never really understood Ace's and Luffy's love for the unknown, but now, at least, Hanley thought she could relate a little bit.

By the time night fell, they hadn't gone very far at all. The wind was practically nonexistent, and when it did blow, it came from the west—preventing them from sailing in the direction they wanted. Still, the first night had passed uneventfully, although they didn't get much sleep, and when nothing adverse happened the following morning Hanley found herself relaxing. She gave up early on making Luffy plan ahead, so she was carefully looking at the amount of money they had and making plans on acquiring a ship and navigator first thing. Hanley didn't care what Luffy said, it'd mean nothing if they couldn't even _find_ the Grand Line. So far, there was nothing to be afraid of, and it looked to be smooth sailing for now.

She should have known better. After ten years she really should have known better.

"I can't believe this is happening, I can't believe you let this happen," Hanley said with surprising calmness as she continued squeezing Luffy's neck. He was beginning to turn blue from the lack of oxygen, but at this point she had a hard time caring, "I leave you alone for fifteen minutes so I can get some sleep, and what happens? Hm? Can you tell me? Well, no, I guess you can't. Somehow, you sailed us _right into a giant whirlpool_. Now, I'm allowed to get a _little_ irritated with you, aren't I?"

Hanley gave him a shake before she finally released his neck and settled for glaring at him. Luffy quickly recovered and pouted at her. Normally, that look alone would have prompted instant forgiveness, but even she had her limits.

"So I got a little careless."

Hanley growled. "Idiot, this is beyond careless! What are we supposed to do now??"

"Hm...can you swim us out?"

Hanley gave him a look. 'Why do I even ask for your opinion?'

"If it were just me, most likely. But you forget, I'd be dragging _your_ ass as well! Who knows how long it'd take—you'd be dead by then!"

"Oh! Yeah, probably!" came the far, FAR too cheerful reply. Hanley had to physically keep herself from strangling him again.

'Oh god, we've only been out here for, what, a_ day_! I know I was asking for deliverance, but really? _Really_??'

Hanley looked around, becoming increasingly desperate as their boat was drawn in deeper into the maelstrom. She could manage to survive by herself—of that she was confident. Even if she wasn't able to escape the powerful current, her ability to stay underwater for long periods of time meant that she could probably ride it out. But that left Luffy. Hanley wasn't willing to risk her getting him out before he drowned. She would have to somehow keep a hold of him, swim, and try to stay above water while fighting against the downdraft. It simply wasn't going to happen.

'Can I throw him out? I could, but I don't know if I could get to him in time. Shit! Shit, shit, shit!'

Luffy, of course, looked amazingly relaxed for someone who was seconds away from dying.

"Who'd have thought our journey would already end in disaster--"

"Fuck, Hanuman! You are impossible!" An idea crossed her mind when Hanley spotted the barrel. If she put him in there, maybe he'll survive. She didn't know if it would work (she just hoped it was sturdier than it looked), but they only had a few seconds left before the boat capsized from the powerful current. Hanley all but threw herself at it, ripped off the lid, and dumped the contents overboard. Hanley grabbed Luffy by the neck and stuffed him inside. "Get in and stay in until things go quiet, okay?"

"Good idea, but what about you?"

"I can get out, don't worry. Just stay in here and survive," she said as she squeezed her bag in there with him, "and make sure nothing happens to my stuff. My ring and Master Thai's Jizo are in there. You take care of it, understand?"

"Yeah, got it! See you later!"

'If we can find each other again, sure.' Hanley put the lid back on and secured it. Just in time, as the water of the maelstrom became too turbulent and the ship was completely swallowed.

Hanley managed to hang onto the barrel for all of three seconds, but the current made it impossible to keep track of it. Instead, she focused on trying to keep her body stabilized. The pressure was intense and it was extremely difficult keeping her bearings.

The maelstrom seemed to go on forever, and it wasn't until a long time later that the pressure equalized to the point where she could swim free. She was dizzy, cold, and her sandals were gone. Hanley pushed her irritation aside and took a few moments to deal with her nausea and get reoriented.

'I was right, the whirlpool lasted a lot longer than I thought it would...he'd have drowned if I tried to swim us out.' Not to mention the fact she had been rendered helpless underwater did not sit well with her at all. Hanley hadn't done much training in the ocean. There was little point in pushing herself when she was already faster than any human swimmer, and she ended up relying too heavily on her natural talents. Now, it was clear talent alone wasn't enough; she was going to have get much stronger if she wanted to be useful out here.

'Lesson painfully learned, but now what?'

Hanley was far deeper than she was used to, but her body seemed to handle it well enough. In any case, for now, she had to find Luffy. The maelstrom looked more destructive than it really was, so the barrel should have held. Her problem now was to figure out where the current could have carried it.

Hanley made a wide circle around the giant whirlpool. The area was pretty abnormal; from what she could tell, there were three powerful currents that flowed through here. It was no wonder a whirlpool formed where they met.

'I've already lost him. Dammit!' Wherever she ultimately decided to go, she'll have to stick with it and hope for the best. After several minutes of indecision, Hanley finally decided to continue west. If she remembered correctly, there was a large town on another island that way. She didn't remember the exact details, and their map was lost with the boat. Still, she might get lucky.

Hanley never had to swim long distances before, so the journey ended up being a test of her endurance. She was just worried she might miss her destination; Ace attempted to teach her navigation, but it really was a lost cause.

Even at her fastest speeds, it was still a good hour before she reached an inhabited island. Once Hanley surfaced she knew, immediately, she did not like where she ended up.

'Marines...damn.'

The Marine base was the most prominent feature in the town, walled off and standing tall above the other buildings. Hanley had never seen one before, but it really wasn't like she expected. Instead of a series of neat, square buildings, the base had two tall, cylindrical structures covered in stripes at the forefront with the Marine logo displayed on the main building. They were flanked by a several rectangular buildings with a multitude of cannons facing both inland and out to sea.

'A seagull? Really? I hate those fuckers.' Hanley gave a hiss and slowly approached a pier. She really, really hoped Luffy wasn't here. If he was, hopefully he'd have the good sense not to cause trouble--

'Ha! Luffy and good sense...I amuse myself.'

Hanley pulled herself out of the water and looked around, wondering where she should start. She was lost, all of her money was with Luffy, and the maelstrom had eaten her shoes. She was just fortunate it didn't take her shorts on top of that.

Several townspeople stared at her, and their gazes felt abnormally heavy on her exposed skin. She had been on her island for so long that she had somehow forgotten how odd her appearance would be to everyone else. They've probably never seen anything like her, and she wasn't being egotistical or self-centered in thinking that way. But for now, Hanley ignored them as best she could. She had other, far more important things to think about.

The town itself was largely nondescript and smaller than Green Harbor, excluding the area the Marine Base occupied. It was really very quaint, overall, and pleasant looking, with small to medium sized townhouses and a couple of larger buildings along the main thoroughfare; although, the dirt road was quickly proving annoying to her wet, bare feet.

One thing, however, was abundantly clear: something was wrong with this town. It wasn't anything that leaped out at you, but Hanley could tell that something was off. Master Thai had pretty much beaten it into her skull that she would be well served to be aware of her surroundings. His hellish training really helped here, as it soon became apparent that everyone looked nervous, as if they were watching every action they took to prevent the slightest misstep. The atmosphere itself felt horribly oppressive.

"Fantastic," Hanley muttered as she continued up the dirt lane. She had decided to make one circuit around the village, but Hanley had a feeling it would be for nothing. Luffy was nowhere to be seen, she had checked the restaurant and tavern first thing, and seeing how quiet it was, it was doubtful he was here at all.

"What am I supposed to do, now? Should I stay and hope Hanuman comes by?" It might be best to stay put for a while; Luffy wasn't the type to remain in one place, so she would just have to hope they ran into each other. Shit, and this could have been avoided if he paid attention.

'I need to look for another crew member, there is no way I can keep us out of trouble by myself...then again, I'm not even sure an entire crew can keep Luffy out of trouble, but it's a start.'

Hanley had reached the base at this point. There was a notice pasted on the wall, matching the ones scattered about the town.

"Shell Town Marine Base. Commanded by Lieutenant Morgan..." The Marine Base was far uglier up close than it was in the distance, which was impressive considering the shape and color scheme of the buildings. The brick wall was tall, even by her standards, with thick, iron doors to keep out trespassers. For all its fortifications, however, it didn't look very active.

Hanley walked around to the side and jumped onto the wall. She should take a look around, just in case. Better to have some idea of what to expect than none.

'Still, where are all the damn marines? There were a couple stationed in town, but this is a base, right? I guess they're doing something—oh hell, who is that?'

At first glance Hanley wasn't that sure if he was even alive. He hung limply in his bindings, baking in the intense heat from the noonday sun. She could see the blood staining his shirt from here, and it looked as if the only thing holding him up was his bindings. His features were difficult to make out under the black bandanna, so she wasn't sure how old, or young, he was.

"What a scary looking guy," Hanley muttered. He gave off a monstrous aura that half reminded her of Master—her grandfather (it was still weird to think of Master Thai that way). "Wonder what he's here for. Oh well, better him than me." There was nothing else to note in the courtyard, so Hanley turned and made to jump back onto the ground.

"Hey..."

Hanley paused and looked over her shoulder. Guess he wasn't so dead after all. Hanley hesitated before turning to face him once more. She may be a "pirate" now, but she wasn't eager to completely throw caution out the window.

"What can I do for you?" she called, deciding to hear him out. The man gave a grin and lifted his head enough so their eyes could meet. Hanley could see he was actually pretty young, which surprised her a little.

"I don't suppose you could come over and untie me?"

Hanley frowned and spoke, "You're asking for quite a lot. That's a large risk on my part."

"Yeah, I know. That's why I'll repay you for your efforts."

Hanley chewed thoughtfully on her thumbnail. He certainly looked like he belonged in captivity; she had no idea if his imprisonment was deserved or not. If she was wrong, she'd be putting herself and a lot of people in danger. And pirate or not, she knew she probably shouldn't be releasing prisoners without any thought or care.

'But maybe I should hear him out. It'd be naïve to think there aren't any corrupt marines, and the way everyone back in town is walking on eggshells is worrying. We do need another crew member, and it would be hard to recruit someone who isn't already a criminal or willing to break the law; besides,' Hanley thought, quickly changing her mind, 'I can take him. I didn't spend ten years in hell to shrink back from a challenge.'

She touched her magatama, which didn't react to him at all. If nothing else, he wouldn't be dangerous to _her_.

"Can I get your name? What are you in for?" asked Hanley after several moments.

"That's surprising. From what I understand I have quite the reputation," he didn't sound as if he really cared about that, however, "but it's not very polite to ask a person's name and not give their own."

'What kind of guy talks this way to someone who's in a position to help him out? Jerk, like you _really_ care about etiquette.'

"My name? It's A--" Hanley paused. After a moment, she came to a decision, "call me Krut Hanley."

"...Roronoa Zoro. People call me a pirate hunter."

That's no good for her cause. But if that's the case, why was someone that hunts pirates kept here? Well, this could only mean there would be no love lost between him and the Marines.

"Sorry, I'm not from here, Mr. Zoro. But you haven't answered my other question."

"It's not important, just a stupid matter. I made a deal that if I can last one month out here they'd let me go; but, I got things to do and if I can get out sooner, then that's even better."

'A month?? Who makes a dumbassed deal like that??'

"How long have you been out here?"

"Nine days."

'Oh. Actually, that's impressive. Nine days and he's still that energetic...and if he's skilled enough to have a reputation, Luffy would want this guy,' Hanley thought before sighing, 'I feel like I'm at the marketplace looking for a pet. Why don't I check his teeth as well?'

Zoro's voice broke her out of her thoughts. "If you're not going to let me out, then you had better go. Otherwise, I just might charge you for looking."

Hanley snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Well that's just criminal, Mr. Zoro! You're not much to look at." When his smile became wider, Hanley continued, "Tell you what: I might be more than happy to let you out." This could definitely be a good break for her. She and Luffy were separated, but that didn't mean she shouldn't keep an eye out for talented people. If anything, he would approve, she was sure.

"But?"

"Well, how do you plan on paying me back?"

"I could hunt down a fugitive and give you the reward. Trust me."

"Trust you? Hm...instead of that, join my crew."

"Crew? You a pirate?"

"Just started, but yes. Um, it's not really my crew, though. My captain's...out and about, right now. But it's just the two of us so far."

Zoro gave a snort and shook his head.

"Think not. I got something else I need to do first."

'Well, that's just unfortunate. Luffy needs a crew.' When she was forced to leave Fuschia, Hanley had decided that since she was a pirate anyway, she may as well do whatever it took—okay, within reason—to make Luffy successful. If Zoro turned out to be worth it, then good.

'If not—if he's bad news like the Marines seem to think he is, then I'll have to put him down.' Hanley's hands curled into fists at that thought. It made her feel a little uncomfortable, thinking that way, but Master Thai—Grandfather—had drilled that into her head. You could only afford to play nice if you had the strength to back it up. 'But only if he really, really deserves it and not before.'

"Just hold tight, I'm coming," Hanley called.

"I'm not going to become a pirate, woman!"

"Funny, I've said the same thing to my captain for nearly ten years, but here I am anyway."

"Tch! Don't decide things on your own!" But Hanley was already inside the large courtyard. His situation made precious little sense to her. Even if he was the awful monster they said he was, he _hunted_ pirates. While rumors could be a potential source of information, Hanley had learned that it would be best to take them with a grain of salt. Gossip could be easily fabricated and exaggerated, and while he never said so outright, her grandfather had intimated the Marines weren't above doing either. As a matter of fact, Master Thai's dim view of the Marines in general is what really prompted her to give Zoro a chance. Add that to the general mood Shell Town was in, Hanley wanted to investigate a little more.

But first, she better get the man out before he got any worse or the Marines decided to renege on their "deal."

It was ridiculously easy to approach him. For someone so dangerous, she would have thought they'd put more security on him.

"Here I am. You must not be very important if you don't have any guards."

"Heh, there's no need for any guards. Anyone who helps me out will be executed."

"Oh that's just fine. You could have mentioned that earlier."

"It must have slipped my mind."

Hanley raised an eyebrow.

"We're going to have to do something about that faulty memory of yours. Well, that's fine. Once I untie you, consider yourself recruited."

"I told you--!!"

"It must have slipped my mind, I'm sorry. Besides, it's manpower I need right now, and it'll be a while until you find a fugitive and turn him in, right?" Hanley saw him hesitate, so she quickly pressed on, "You're not exactly in a position to pay me back here, are you? You'll have to come with us anyway."

Zoro fell silent, mulling it over. While he was thinking, Hanley made quick work of the ropes. He might not have anyone actively watching him, but that didn't mean she could take her time.

"Why don't you want to become a pirate?" Hanley asked as Zoro stood up straight and stretched. His eyes immediately went to the scales on her exposed arms and legs, but he refrained from saying anything. As far as Hanley was concerned, that was a point in his favor. Zoro rubbed his arms and scowled at her.

"I have no interest in becoming a bad guy. And like I said, I have something else to do."

"Hm...well, just because someone chooses to become a pirate, that doesn't make them bad. It's freedom, in its simplest form. A great pirate told me that, you know. He's a real nice guy."

"Freedom, huh? Just the same, don't think this means I'll be joining your crew. I'll come with you to get you your reward but nothing more."

"Geez, you're stubborn. Oh well, I don't have a ship so we can't leave right now, but I'll work on that."

"Hey, before that, I need to get my--"

"Oh! And I better carry you, you won't be able to keep up," Hanley said, grabbing him and quickly tossing him over her shoulder, not bothering to get his permission as she knew he wouldn't give it. Hanley couldn't see his face, but she could only imagine his expression from the way he was sputtering at her.

"W-Woman, wait--!!"

Hanley ignored him and gathered her energy into her legs.

"Hang on!" She took off at a run, clearing the brick wall in one jump. The moment her foot touched the ground she kicked off once more, dashing around the wall and ducking into a narrow alley behind a row of houses.

'Where to hide him, where to hide him...' Nothing obvious came to mind. From the way the town was set up, it was impossible to get to the small harbor without going on the main road, and the Marine Base itself controlled travel further inland. Forcing their way through was a possibility, but the idea of getting barraged by canon fire wasn't that appealing. The available routes were currently out of the question, so she skidded to a stop behind a small townhouse. Hanley briefly took a look around before she set Zoro on his feet. He staggered slightly, but quickly regained his balance and gave her a furious glare. Seeing as she spent a good decade getting looks from Master Thai—Grandfather, dammit—she cheerfully ignored it and looked him over.

"Are you insane??" he snapped, looking comical as opposed to intimidating. His bandanna was riding up in the back, and Hanley had to push back the urge to fix it for him.

'If I start treating him like Hanuman, this does not bode well for my sanity.' Hanley had no idea where she got it from.

Instead, she asked, "Are you okay?" The wounds didn't look too bad, and for someone who hasn't eaten for nine days, he looked pretty fit.

Zoro scowled at her and snapped, "This is just my luck—I get rescued by a crazy woman."

"You're lucky I'm crazy or you would have been left there to rot; you do know what they say about beggars, don't you? Besides, you weren't getting out of that alone."

Zoro shrugged, "I could have once I survived the month." Huh, that baseless confidence was pretty familiar as well. Hanley couldn't believe she managed to stumble upon such a guy. Maybe it was a sign. She placed a hand on her hip and lightly pushed his shoulder.

"Uh huh, I'm sure. And if you didn't survive? And if they suddenly decided you weren't worth the effort?"

"That bastard promised me--"

The both of them fell silent when the back door to the townhouse slowly opened. Hanley tensed and began reaching for Zoro's arm. She couldn't be seen with him right now; it would make her job far more difficult than it already was.

'I _have_ totally lost my mind. But I couldn't exactly leave him, either.'

When a small, pigtailed girl poked her head out of the doorway, Hanley bit back a curse and tried to figure out how to deal with her. If she were smart, she would have taken off first thing. That moment cost her, though, as the girl glanced in their direction and did a very comical double-take.

'Oops, shit, maybe if I convince her to be quiet--'

"O-Oniisan! You're okay!" she cheered happily, dashing up to them. Hanley exhaled in relief and looked at Zoro.

"Oh, is she your sister?"  
"No," he answered before turning his attention to the little girl, "you're that girl from before." She brightened when he seemed to remember her and bowed.

"My name's Rika. I'm so glad you're here! I was going to come see you!"

Zoro scowled at her. "You shouldn't have done that, kid." Her face fell as she looked at her feet. Hanley nudged Zoro in irritation.

"Hey now, she was worried about you!"

"And? I wouldn't put it past the Lieutenant to execute her if he found out about her visits."

That was disturbing. What sort of Marine was this man? Her magatama remained silent, which meant it was more and more likely that whatever Zoro did to get locked up in the first place really wasn't deserved. Which meant his assessment of the Marine Lieutenant might have some truth to it.

The girl shook her head and smiled at them.

"I would have gone anyway, Oniisan saved my life. Oneesan rescued him, right? Thank you! Hold on!" She quickly ran into the house and shut the door. What an excitable little girl.

"What do you think?" Hanley asked Zoro.

"We don't have a lot of options," he answered, apparently over his abduction and was now analyzing their current situation, "but we'd be putting her life in jeopardy. I don't like that."

"Yeah. What you said about the Lieutenant worries me. You wouldn't happen to have a boat, would you?"

"It got confiscated."

"Damn. This would be a lot easier if I had a boat."

"Then how the hell did you even get out here?"

"I swam, obviously."

"...There are some strange people out in the world," came the dry response.

Hanley grinned widely, "In any case, it seems you're a pretty good guy after all. Rika-chan's quite taken with you. You look mean, but you're just a softie, hm?"

Now he looked thoroughly unimpressed.

"Ah, sorry," Hanley apologized, trying not to smile. The window above them opened outward and Rika motioned for them to come up.

"Hurry, before my mom sees."

"This makes me very uncomfortable, but there aren't any places to hide. We'll just have to be careful. Can you--"

"I can get up there myself," Zoro said quickly when she moved to grab his arm. He made the jump easily enough; if he was suffering any effects from his imprisonment he was doing a damn fine job of hiding it.

'Huh, one would think he's never been carried before. Eh, he looks like he's pretty proud.' She followed him up but remained on the window sill. She needed to hurry. The courtyard looked empty, but _someone_ was going to notice Zoro's absence soon. Hanley had little hope they'd get out before that happened, but...

"Hey, Rika-chan? Keep an eye on him, okay? He might do something stupid like leave when I need to find us a boat. And remember, Zoro, you owe me whether you like it or not." She was counting on him to have some sort of honor code. Hanley figured he did, but still, you could never be too sure.

"Damn woman," he grumbled, making no move to challenge her on it. Rika looked beside herself with glee as she set about being a perfect hostess. She sloppily made up her bed and quickly picked up her toys.

"I'll serve you tea, Oniisan!" Zoro looked pretty uncomfortable as she directed him to a small table in the corner of the room. His surly expression didn't intimidate her at all, though.

Hanley coughed and grinned, "I'll leave you two to play house. See you."

She leaped off of the sill before he had a chance to reply. Luckily Rika seemed more than willing to feed him, which was good.

'I didn't see that many boats at the pier, though. Am I going to have to steal one? Probably, I have no money and I'm not hanging around long enough to earn the money for one. If worse comes to worse, _I'll_ have to be boat.' For some reason, she really wasn't looking forward to that.

Hanley slipped out of the alley onto the main road. She should steal it soon, if they discover him missing the pier would be the first place to look.

"How did I even get myself into this situation?" Hanley grumbled, "I swear, if Hanuman didn't need an able bodied crew I'd—I don't believe it." Luffy was several feet ahead of her, her duffel bag in hand, heading toward the restaurant she'd passed some time ago. Hanley didn't know if he just got here or if he was in town the entire time (which was doubtful), but it didn't really matter. She smiled and jogged up to him, moving silently until she reached up and covered his eyes.

"Hey Hanuman, guess who?" He immediately turned and lunged at her.

"Hi, Hanley!" Hanley quickly stepped aside, barely missing Luffy's lunge. He ended up staggering a bit, but he was quick to regain his balance. He looked fine, as she figured he would be, but she had to admit she still worried about him. She brought him into a hug, squeezing as hard as she could.

"I was so worried about you! I didn't know where to find you and I ended up all the way out here and--" Luffy waved his free arm and pushed away.

"You're always choking me with your boobs, Hanley." He didn't seem to notice her horrified sputters as he slipped her bag off his shoulder, "I got your bag for ya."

"O-Oh, thanks," she replied, lightly smacking his head in revenge.

"You should thank Coby for getting me here, though. He's a great navigator!"

Hanley blinked and looked to the short boy who stood beside her "husband." For some reason, she had overlooked him when she approached. He was on the chubby side, with large, round glasses and, wow, pink hair of all things. He seemed to be on the timid side, as he had a hard time looking at her.

'Well, not surprising, I guess...'

Coby jumped a bit when he realized her attention was now on him, and he proceeded to bow with exaggerated politeness.

"Y-You must be Luffy-san's wife! He's told me all about you! It's nice to meet you, Ms, er--"

Hanley held up a hand. "Hey now, Hanley's fine. What's this goof told you about me?" She ruffled Luffy's hair.

"Nothing bad, believe me!" Coby quickly explained, waving his hands, "I-I was just surprised, that's all."

"Oh? Surprised?"

"Well, it's just...I thought someone that would marry Luffy-san would be, er, more different?" he said, ending on a questioning note. Hanley understood, however. Luffy was Luffy, that was really all one could say about him.

Coby continued, "He told me about your scales and everything, but you're really, ah..." He ended up trailing off, not able to find a way to share his thoughts without making some kind of perceived offense. Hanley could only imagine the sort of insane female-creature Coby thought up.

"Well I'm not raving mad, although sometimes Luffy makes me wonder. Don't worry, Coby, I got you. Anyway, I'm so pleased! Hanuman, you actually got us a navigator! I'm so proud of you!" Hanley was so pleased she squeezed him again. "Did he cause you a lot of trouble, Coby?"

Coby blushed heavily and Luffy shook his head.

"Naw, Coby here's gonna be a Marine. It's why we came here to this base, see?"

'I should have known it would be too good to be true...'

Coby looked apologetic. "Sorry, but it's my dream, and I'm going to fulfill it no matter what!"

"Ah, I'm so disappointed! I really thought Hanuman gave up that musician nonsense," Hanley grumbled, crossing her arms and pouting a bit. In any case, this was a wonderful break. All of her problems were solved in one, fell swoop! Boat and money acquired, Luffy found, and a new crew member to share in her torment! They still didn't have a navigator, but that was next on her list. Hell, when was the last time things have gone this smoothly for her?

It wasn't going to last.

"Anyway, Coby was just going to buy me lunch! Come on, Hanley!" Luffy grabbed her hand and dragged her into the nearby restaurant. Hanley had to wonder if the poor boy actually agreed to pay or if it was one of Luffy's suggestions.

It turned out that Coby really did offer to pay for their lunch. Luffy was much too busy stuffing his face, so Coby was the one to bring her up to speed on what happened. He was willing to talk about his awful experience with some Alvida woman, and how Luffy pretty much saved his life and inspired him to follow his dreams. Hanley was a little sorry she missed the fight, though. It sounded like Alvida could have stood to learn how a real woman should conduct herself; Hanley would have been pretty willing to beat the lesson into her, just to make sure it stuck. She ruffled Luffy's hair again and smiled at him.

"Don't eat too much, Hanuman."

"But I'm hungry! You should let your husband eat more," Luffy complained, mouth full of meat.

"It really is alright," Coby assured, "I owe him."

"I understand, but you have no idea how much he can put away."  
"I'm beginning to see that..." replied Coby, looking a little awed as Luffy blatantly and unapologetically stole food off his wife's plate. Hanley just let him. "Anyway, it's a good thing we ran into you, er, Hanley. There's a dangerous man in the area."

Luffy scoffed, "Hanley can fight me, she'd have been fine."  
"Damn right I'd have been fine. Who's this guy, anyway?"  
"Well, supposedly he's been captured and is being held at the base right now. Roronoa Zoro--" Coby was cut off when everyone in the restaurant promptly jumped and immediately backpedaled to the far wall as if the building was under attack. Hanley blinked while Luffy laughed, amused at the display.  
"What a funny place!" he said cheerfully, finishing off his meal.

Coby scratched his head.

"O-Oh, I guess you can't just say that name carelessly. Anyway, I suppose I should go see Lieutenant Morgan--"

Again, the townspeople leaped backward in terror, many of them sending their chairs flying in their haste. Hanley raised her eyebrows and glanced at Coby. That reaction was very telling. Combined with what she managed to glean from Zoro, Hanley was starting to get the real picture of Shell Town, and it wasn't a very pretty one.

However, and this was probably callous of her, it really wasn't her problem. She wasn't here to right all the wrongs she came across—as long as the Marines kept the hell away from Hanuman and as long as nothing awful was happening in her face, she was willing to leave Shell Town be. Let someone else play the hero.

"Oh, I should tell you!" Hanley lowered her voice and motioned the two closer, "Hanuman, you won't believe who I recruited to our crew. Well, not so much recruit, but he'll have to come with us for the time being anyway. I released Roronoa Zoro."

Coby nearly screamed, "You what?? You set R--" Hanley slapped her hand over his mouth and shushed him. The kid nearly gave it all away! Coby seemed to realize what he'd nearly done and reddened in embarrassment.

"Sorry..."

"Don't worry about it. They haven't noticed yet, for some reason. Honestly, what could be more important around here than watching a supposed criminal? That Lieutenant can't be very competent. Anyway, what do you think, Hanuman?"

Luffy hummed. "Is he a bad person? I don't want him if he's not worthy."

Hanley didn't blink an eye at his sudden serious mood; after ten years she was pretty much used to it.

"I've confirmed it. For the time being he's part of the crew."

Luffy fell silent, then he threw his arms up and cheered,

"Best. Wife. Ever! Let's go, now!"

Hanley laughed, "You bet I am. Think of it as a belated birthday gift."

"This is much better than a whip!"

Coby looked torn between bemusement and outright horror. The townspeople simply stared. Hanley coughed and shook her head.

'Why thank you, Luffy, there's nothing wrong with that sentence _at all_!'

Hanley spoke, "I'll show you where he is. I left him in an...interesting place." After Coby paid for lunch, she led the way down the main road to Rika's house. Hanley hoped nothing went wrong. She saw more Marines out than normal, running around and looking terrified.

'I'm guessing they realized Zoro's gone. But why haven't they raised an alarm? Still, getting out of here without being noticed will probably be impossible. Oh well, between the three of us, it'll be easy. I hope.'

"This is so great! Our first comrade!" Luffy was nearly bouncing from excitement.

Hanley quickly grabbed his vest before he ran straight into the house. She could see a woman moving inside, and she had a feeling Luffy bursting in wouldn't go over well with Rika's mother.

"Hold on, we have to go in from the alley."

Coby looked very nervous. "This is bad, what will the Marines do to us if they find out?"

"I'll beat them up," Luffy said simply. Coby looked ready to burst into tears.

"Don't worry about it, Coby. He's on the second floor—Luffy!"

Unable to wait a second longer, Luffy took a hold of Coby's shirt, reached up, and pulled them up and through the window. Hanley sighed and jumped after them. Zoro was still where Hanley left him, but Luffy took one look at the flowery teacup he was holding, at the dolls he was surrounded by, and gave Hanley a look.

"...Can we give him back?"

Hanley chortled. "Mr. Zoro, what has she done to you?" It was, easily, one of the creepiest things she had ever seen. It wasn't even _cute_. Seeing someone like Zoro having a tea party was all kinds of wrong and nightmare inducing. Rika smiled happily.

"I was just keeping Oniisan busy like you said."

That, however, was ridiculously adorable. What a sweetheart.

Zoro's scowl deepened; it only made the scene all the more surreal.

"Couldn't say no, could I? She got this look on her face," he grumbled, "and I was hungry, dammit. Is this your captain?"

"Yup," Luffy confirmed, stepping inside, "we're nakama now! Looks like you really are a good guy!"

"Oi, oi, I'm not becoming a pirate--"

Coby rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Roronoa Zoro isn't like I thought he'd be. Is he really that horrible person his reputation says he is?"

Rika frowned. "Of course not! Oniisan is the best! The only reason he was locked up was because of me. He killed Helmeppo's pet wolf 'cos Helmeppo let it run around and everyone got scared..."

"Helmeppo?" Hanley asked. Rika nodded.

"Yeah, he's the Marine Lieutenant's son. He can do anything he wants, he's so bad! He's the one that should've been tied up! The Morgans are the _real_ bad guys, but if you go against them you get executed, so everyone's really afraid."

'So that's what's going on. I thought Zoro's imprisonment was a little weird, and this just confirms it. Man, I'm glad I didn't read the situation wrong!'

"Well," Hanley began, "we should take this opportunity to go before Rika's mother finds out."

Rika's face fell and it nearly broke Hanley's heart. One of these days her softness towards cute things was going to get her into trouble.

_Luffy_.

"Aw, but I wanted to play some more..." Zoro eyes widened and his face twisted. Hanley hid a grin.

"While I'm sure Zoro would like nothing more than to be your guest--" Hanley easily brushed off his glare, "we can't stay for too long. They noticed he escaped so they'll probably be searching your homes soon. We should get out of Shell Town now."

"I dunno, I kinda want to kick Morgan's ass before we leave," Luffy said, idly placing his hands behind his head. Trust him to talk about committing acts of violence without a care in the world.

"Oh? I guess that's just like a pirate," Zoro commented. Luffy shrugged.

"'s not that. That Morgan is a bad guy. He pisses me off." Zoro looked slightly surprised at the idea of a _pirate_ meting out justice and defeating bad guys, but in the end he only snorted softly and headed to the window.

'If only it _was _that simple,' Hanley thought with a weary sigh. Luffy normally wasn't one for heroic gestures, and she had a feeling as to why Lieutenant Morgan's behavior pissed him off.

Hanley shook her head.

"Coby can head on up to the Marine base and we--"

"I'm not leaving yet," interrupted Zoro.

"What? Why not?"

"Those bastards have something important of mine. My katana is something that I treasure the most, other than my life. I'm not leaving until I get it back."

"Why didn't you mention that sooner??"

"You carried me off."

Oops. Um, shit, how awkward.

Luffy grinned. "Sounds like Hanley. Oh well, guess we're going to the base after all! Once I get your katana for you, you'll definitely have to join my crew!"

"That's dirty!" came the angry protest.

'And Hanuman resorts to blackmail. Dammit, I could have avoided this! These men will drive me nuts! So much for a burden shared,' Hanley thought ruefully.

"I-I'm glad we're going to the base," Coby spoke up, shaking slightly, "we have to do something. That Lieutenant Morgan is no Marine!"

"Coby..." Hanley muttered, then she sighed. Oh well, what else could she do? "Then let's go the base. I guess this will be my chance to get some exercise."

"Rika? Are you okay, dear? I thought I heard voices," called Rika's mother from downstairs.

"We better go," said Luffy, cheerfully, grabbing a handful of cookies for the road.

"Yeah, that's our cue to get out. Thanks for everything, Rika-chan," Hanley said, giving her a pat on the head. Rika beamed and bowed.

"I don't mind! I'm glad I could pay Oniisan back." Zoro mumbled something and quickly jumped out of the window.

"Let's go get those bastards!" Luffy cried, jumping out behind him with Coby in tow. Hanley rolled her eyes and jumped over the sill just as the door opened.

"Do you know where your sword is?" Coby asked when he was safely on the ground, once he managed to recover.

Zoro shook his head and replied, "Only that it's in the base. That bastard son took it."

"Shit, what should we do? We don't know how many Marines there are--" Hanley started, only to be interrupted by Luffy.

"Let's go!" he shouted, dashing out into the street. Coby groaned and Zoro just looked startled.

"That guy is the captain? He's an idiot!"

Hanley, however, was literally snarling.

"Or we could just charge through the front door. Y'know, sometimes, I really wonder why I like that guy."

"We better follow him, with all this running around there's no point to hiding any longer."

"Now you're the idiot!" Hanley snapped.

"Sneaking around isn't my style anyway, I've been burning for a good fight."

'...The only sane male here is Coby and he won't be joining us. Fuck my life.'

"Look," Hanley said, feeling desperate, "can you just...wait here for a bit while I get Luffy back? We can fight all you want, but let's at least get to the base first! Then you can go crazy! Hell, _I'll_ go crazy, too!" Didn't they realize how difficult it would be to look for a sword in an entire military base??

Before Hanley realized it she had placed her bag aside, grabbed Zoro's arms, and was shaking him furiously. For some reason, Coby had begun to inch away from her.

"Alright, alright! We'll do it your way for now!"

Hanley forced herself to take a deep breath.

"Thank you, Mr. Zoro, that's all I ask. Please wait here." She let him go and marched out into the street. Hopefully Luffy wouldn't have gone _too_ far and she could give him a well deserved tongue-lashing.

About ten yards up the road, Luffy was standing over two downed marines and a terrified looking young man with an ugly hair cut and even uglier leisure suit.

'Oh, well, nevermind. He just does what he wants.'

The townspeople were lined up on the sides of the road, looking on in horror. Seeing as they were too useless from fear right now, Hanley simply walked up and placed her hands on her hips.

"So, what are you doing?"

Luffy cracked his knuckles.

"You're really slow, Hanley. This guy pissed me off so I had to hit him."

The young man looked torn between anger and fear. Anger eventually won out, as he glared and jabbed his finger in Luffy's direction.

"H-How dare you strike me!! I'm the son of Lieutenant Morgan--"

"Wait, wait. _You're_ Helmeppo?" asked Hanley. Honestly, she kind of expected someone more...impressive. He was nothing more than a whiny, self-important brat, and Hanley felt almost sorry for him. Part of the blame clearly lay in bad parenting.

At least she _had_ some sympathy for him until he continued running his mouth.

Helmeppo struggled to his feet and gave a nasty grin.

"That's right. And I'm going to tell my father all about you! I bet you were the ones to set Roronoa Zoro free! You'll be hanged for this, I'll have you executed--"

Hanley's fist sank into his gut. Like hell they were laying a finger on Luffy!

Helmeppo squeaked and he sagged forward, unable to breathe. She caught him by the back of his shirt and turned to Luffy.

"I've had it. I've tried being nice, and I've tried being logical, but shit just keeps happening and I. Have. Had it. We're charging the base! Mr. Zoro, get your ass in gear!"

Zoro blinked and looked down at Coby.

"First she tells me to stay here and now she's wanting to charge into the base headfirst."

"Your ass isn't moving!"

"Yeah, yeah, leave my ass out of this."

"Oh, and Coby? Could you be a dear and grab my duffel for me? Thank you."

Luffy placed his hands behind his head, his smile growing even larger. "It's about time, Hanley, we'll have a lot of fun!"

Well, sure, if Hanley were being honest with herself, some small part of her _did_ find this exhilarating. It was sort of like one of the movies her grandfather would import and watch on their tiny television and old VCR. Hollywood movies with cowboys and gangsters going in with guns blazing.

Hanley nodded firmly.

"Don't worry, Mr. Zoro. We'll get your sword back. Even if we have to make this bastard squeal."

Helmeppo let out a haggard sob.

"Don't be so hasty," watching the townspeople flee at the sight of him was actually a little funny, "if there's going to be any interrogation, it'll be done by me."

"The bastard's foaming at the mouth," Luffy observed.

"Y-You can't just storm the base!" cried Coby, trying to inject some kind of sanity into them.

'Oh dear, sweet Coby, I know exactly how you feel but I want to get this over with.' Hanley shrugged and began to head east down the road, straight to the base. She still had Helmeppo by the shirt and was dragging him along.

"It's a shame he passed out before we got the location of the sword," Hanley muttered.

Luffy didn't look too concerned, however.

"It'll be fine, we'll just tear the place apart looking for it."

"You're willing to go that far?" asked Zoro, surprised.

"Something like that must be your treasure, right? If it's worth as much as your life, then it's worth risking mine to get it back. That's all. Besides, you'll only get it back if you join me, anyway."

"Dammit, don't mess with me!"

"I can tell you're strong. I need a strong crew to become King of the Pirates."

"P-Pirate King? Are you serious??"

Hanley smiled, "Oh, he's quite serious."

"It surprised me too, at first," Coby added, "but he'll definitely go for it."

The walk wasn't a long one, but by the time they reached the base and entered one of the courtyards, Helmeppo came to and was screaming for help.

Hanley shook him, but to no avail.

"Arg, this guy! We have to get that sword!"

"Help me! Aaah! Someone save me!"

"Be quiet!" But Helmeppo was far from listening to her, shouting until Zoro grabbed him by the front of his jacket.

"Shut. Up."

Helmeppo froze in mid flail.

'Wow, he's good,' Hanley thought. Why couldn't she ever be that scary?

"You have two choices," Zoro's voice held such a menacing tone that even Hanley got a little nervous, "you can tell me where my sword is of your own accord, or I can force it out of you."

'Real good.'

"M-My room!" Helmeppo stuttered weakly. Hanley looked around. They were out in the open manhandling the Lieutenant's kid, and word must have been sent up by now.

"And where is your room?"

Helmeppo shakily pointed to the largest building on the base. That wasn't surprising; with their luck, it'd also be the most heavily guarded. Oh well, what better time than to get that real world experience her grandfather spoke of?

As if to mock her, the door to the building burst open and a small squad of Marines, twelve men in all, charged at them. And every single one of them was brandishing a rifle. Helmeppo's presence seemed to be the only reason they haven't been fired yet—but that could change at any moment. Hanley grew tense at the sight of them, and she seriously expected a bit of that old fear to rear its head. It was a little embarrassing, but Hanley never got rid of it entirely, even when her skill level had essentially skyrocketed since she first landed here. However, after a few seconds, it...never came. Hanley even waited for it to show, like one would wait for an old friend that happened to be running late (she and her fear were practically on speaking terms); yet, her heart didn't start to beat erratically and her stomach didn't get upset. Maybe it was because she had spent ten years with Master Thai, but whatever the hell it was, she wasn't scared at all.

There was only excitement.

No name bandits were one thing, but how well would she fare against trained professionals? What would it be like? This was her first fight off the island, and she could feel nothing but confidence. The small prick of exhilaration she felt before was nothing compared to what she felt now.

Hanley's mind was already making preliminary observations about her enemies; her grandfather's training was really kicking in now, picking out the rather blatant weak spots on their bodies as well as their formation. Before, what seemed like pointless exercises or outright torture now had a clear meaning. These men looked so weak and clumsy to her. They may as well have painted targets on their torsos and necks if they were going to advertise their openings like that.

'That old bastard...he really did the best he could.'

"Hey, Hanley," Luffy said, grabbing Helmeppo with his left hand while he wound up his right arm, "I gotta get Zoro's sword. Can you take care of these guys for me?"

Hanley nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's what's important here. Don't worry about us."

"I won't! Gomu Gomu no--" Luffy swung his arm and sent it straight at the taller, striped building. The only ones not to shout in shock at the sight of his arm stretching were her and Coby. A couple of Marines even dropped their weapons while Zoro's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "--Rocket!" Luffy allowed his body to slacken, sending him and Helmeppo shooting straight toward the roof of the main building.

"What the hell??" Zoro shouted after him, finally able to make some semblance of speech. The Marines were no better off.

"H-He's flying!"

"Is he a monster??"

Hanley sighed and scratched her head. They were just making it easier for her. When half of a giant statue came tumbling from the building a few moments later, Hanley didn't even bother getting surprised.

"Oh, look, Hanuman caused property damage. Who could have predicted such a thing?" she drawled, rolling her eyes. Luffy was involved, that was all she needed to know.

"Is this what I have to look forward to?" Zoro asked, sighing.

"Oh, well, if it makes you feel any better... ...actually, I don't know what will make you feel better. Does this mean you'll be joining our crew, then?"

"No. I only meant when I get you your reward."

The Marines, however, now looked terrified.

"Lieutenant Morgan's statue! He's going to kill us!"

Shrugging, she moved forward to the nearest soldier and lifted her leg so that her foot was high above her head. Her ax kick caught the man on the shoulder, easily sending him into the ground with a loud crash. She couldn't help but pointedly grind her foot into the man's back.

'Okay, I've always kinda wanted to do this.'

"Hey, you guys had better not keep your backs turned on me," Hanley remarked, placing her hands on her hips. The clearing was silent for only a few, short moments before a couple of them regained their senses and began to level their guns at her.

Hanley really wasn't going to wait around for that.

She was already speeding forward, getting inside the guard of one marine before he could even put his finger on the trigger. Hanley didn't put all of her power behind the knee strike (she didn't want to kill the guy), but she struck his sternum with just enough force to knock him out. The remaining thirteen seemed to realize she was actually a threat, and quickly turned to gang up on her. Hanley quickly held up an arm to block a swinging rifle. It struck her scales and the barrel nearly snapped right off.

"M-Monster!"

'Oh what the hell??' Hanley spun and kicked the offender in the mouth. He went flying back into two other marines.

"Shut up, I can't help my scales, okay??" Oddly enough, that was really the first time she had even been called such a thing. Hanley twisted around another soldier's strike and sank her elbow into his torso, aiming for his liver. He went down like a dead weight, and three more of his comrades followed right after with a powerful crescent kick. After that, the others didn't last long at all, and Hanley was left standing over their bodies without even breaking a sweat.

"Ace and Hanuman like them just fine, assholes," she grumbled, trying to calm down. Although, to be fair, it did get pretty weird when it was time to shed her skin.

Zoro looked down at her victims and nodded.

"It looks like you do know what you're doing."

"I would be less of a woman if I didn't," she answered.

"Is that how it works?"

"For me, yeah. I was hoping for more of a challenge, though. I wonder what's taking Luffy so long."

Coby coughed and tightened his grip on Hanley's bag. "U-Um, Zoro-san? Hanley-san?" He was pale and shaking, staring into the distance.

"Hm? What is it--"

"Surround the base!! Don't let the guy with the straw hat escape!!" Hanley turned her attention back to the main building and saw a row of Marines with their guns loaded and aimed right at them. Behind the firing squad was a large man with white-blond hair and a hideous steel jaw. What really threw her was his right arm, which was replaced with an even more hideous looking ax. The sight was grotesque, with the handle sticking out far past where his elbow should have ended. How the fuck did he lug that thing around? How did he do _anything_? Was he left-handed? He must have been, there's no way he would have made it work otherwise. What an awful idea.

Hanley slapped her forehead and groaned.

"Let me guess, that must be Lieutenant Morgan. Shit, this must be why Master Thai told me to always be aware of my surroundings!"

"Hey, can you dodge bullets?" Zoro asked.

"Yes, actually. My teacher hired some thugs to shoot at me from time to time to keep me on my toes. That's a story for another day, though," Hanley ignored Coby's horrified stare in favor of grabbing his shoulder, "but I'll be more than happy to carry you to safety. You make an interesting damsel in distress, you know—"

"Tch! Don't insult me. I was asking for your benefit."

'Hah, I better shut my mouth before he loses his temper and stabs me one day.'

Morgan shouldered his gigantic ax. "How interesting...are the four of you planning to cause political upheaval?"

'Oh, like you're _so_ important for us to do that. What an ego!'

"Roronoa Zoro," Morgan continued, not waiting for a response, "I've heard of your name from a long time ago, but do not underestimate me. Before my great strength, you're just garbage! Ready!!" The sharp sound of the rifles being cocked echoed throughout the courtyard. Coby was an absolute wreck, and Zoro was so tense she could see the veins throbbing in his neck and arms. Hanley made herself focus on where the barrels of the guns were aiming. Once she got her speed up to par, dodging bullets was surprisingly straightforward, seeing as they only went in a straight line.

Zoro shifted so his weight rested on the balls of his feet, preparing himself.

"Get ready," he muttered. Hanley's grip on Coby tightened. Once their fingers tightened on the triggers, she was going to have to grab him and move as quickly as she could.

"FIRE!" Morgan shouted, bringing his ax hand down in a powerful arc. Hanley wrapped her arms around Coby and began to jump to the side, but froze when Luffy flew down from above and put himself between them and the bullets.

"Luffy-san!" screamed Coby, while Hanley and Zoro shouted in surprise. The bullets struck him a split second later. Instead of of taking any damage, however, his skin stretched backward until the bullets' momentum was stopped.

Luffy quickly straightened and sent them shooting right back at the Marines, arms wide and laughing.

"It's no use!" The men before them scrambled to avoid being hit. Somehow, not one person was even nicked by a stray bullet.

"Damn. In theory I knew it should work, but..." Hanley muttered, then she frowned when something else became very apparent, "don't tell me every single bullet that didn't hit him missed us, too. Where did these storm troopers learn to shoot anyway??" Weren't they shooting in a line? How did the bullets arrange themselves in such a way that Luffy caught them all—nevermind, why bother. The only thing she should be concerned with was that it certainly made things much easier for them. Still, if Coby wanted to join these fools, Hanley hoped he would go somewhere other than the Storm Trooper Academy for marksmanship.

Luffy adjusted his hat and grinned wildly. He had three katana tucked under his arm.

Zoro was slowly getting over his surprise.

"What kind of human are you, anyway?" he finally asked, somewhat calm.

"Hehehe, the man who will become Pirate King, of course."

Morgan growled and swung his arm angrily. "Resisting the Marines will make you outlaws! Or maybe you want to die here??"

"What an ass," said Hanley. They were already pirates; becoming outlaws here would make no difference.

"I wonder, are you the offspring of the devil? Well, it doesn't matter. Instead, why don't I accede to your request and become a pirate?" Zoro remarked with a fierce smirk.

Hanley nodded. "Awesome! I knew you couldn't resist us for long."

"Ha! If nothing else, things'll be even more interesting for me."

In the distance, the Marines were working themselves into a panic. The sight of Luffy repelling the bullets with his body, on top of figuring out that he was a man who consumed an Akuma no Mi had them shouting and nearly falling out of formation.

"Idiots, don't let them escape!" Morgan bellowed.

"If guns don't work, we'll use swords to kill him!"

"They're getting serious, Hanuman," Hanley said. The men took their sabers from their sheaths and charged with a battle cry.

"All who oppose me must perish!"

'What is _wrong_ with this guy?'

Luffy held out the three katana. "There were three, so which one's your treasured sword?"

"All three katana belong to me, because I use three katana." Zoro took his possessions from Luffy and looked them over.

"Seriously? That's actually pretty cool," commented Hanley, looking impressed, "But you only have two arms."

"Sit back and watch," Zoro answered confidently, quickly inserting his swords into his haramaki. The katana that was in the white sheath went into his mouth, clenched by his teeth, while he held the other two. By this time, the Marines had reached their position and they swung in unison, wanting to cut down the bigger threat.

Zoro easily caught every single one of their blades.

"He is really cool. Hanuman, why can't I be that cool?"

Luffy shrugged. "I dunno, guess you weren't meant to be."

Hanley lightly smacked the back of his head. "I was joking, but thanks."

"Shishishi, you're welcome!"

"All of you better not move! You move, and I kill you!" Zoro ordered. Hanley wasn't sure how he managed to speak with a sword handle in his mouth. Seeing as he was actually understandable and wasn't drooling all over the place, she really was forced to add a few more cool points to the list.

The Marines were obedient, none of them moving even one centimeter. Hanley found she really couldn't blame them for that.

Zoro's attention turned back to Luffy. "I already told you I'd be a pirate with you...after this incident with the Marines, I'd have been an outlaw, anyway. But that's fine, I still have my own goals!"

"What're those?" asked Luffy, looking curious.

"I'm going to become the world's greatest swordsman! I no longer care if my name is clean or not. Bad guy, good guy, it no longer matters as long as my name is known worldwide! If you do something that ends up in the way of my goal, I will have you cut your stomach open to say sorry!"

"Zoro-san's amazing, too," Coby whispered. Hanley grinned at him.

"Eh, we sure know some big dreamers, don't we? But that applies to you, too, right?"

"Yes! How about you, Hanley-san?"

"Me? Oh, nothing like you all. But I'm going to make sure that Luffy makes it, at least. I'm just hoping my wishes will come true as I go along." She was, after all, here for the long haul, however long that took.

As for Luffy, he looked incredibly pleased at the proclamation and said as much.

"That's fine! It's good that you want to be the world's number one swordsman! Since you wanna be the Pirate King's crew member, if you can't accomplish something that small, then I would be very embarrassed as well!"

"Heh, well said!" Zoro replied.

"Um, that's nice and all, but we're in the middle of something, you two," Hanley interrupted. Morgan was looking more apoplectic by the second. His face was turning so red she was surprised steam wasn't shooting out of his ears.

"What are you guys standing there for??" he roared, waving his ax arm angrily, "Hurry up and finish them off!!"

"Duck, Zoro," Luffy called. He twisted his body sharply, raising one of his legs and rotating, extending the limb so that it slammed across the line of paralyzed Marines. They flew back from the sheer power of the blow, swords and ball caps and bodies going every which way. Hanley idly licked her teeth and stretched her arms. She could guess what would happen now and that Luffy would handle it. She was a little disappointed, to be truly honest, because this was far easier than she thought it was going to be.

'Or,' a little voice at the back of her head remarked, 'you are that strong. Wouldn't that be a good break?'

Yeah, probably.

"Super! Very cool, Luffy-san!" Coby cheered.

Zoro straightened. "What a strange ability you have."

"I'm a rubber-man! Oh, maybe I should have left some for you, Hanley." Luffy looked back at her to see if she was upset. Hanley chuckled and waved her hand.

"Oh that's sweet of you, Hanuman. But I'm fine. Actually, if you could hurry up and beat up the Lieutenant, I'd appreciate it."

"Oh, you gettin' hungry, too?"

"Again, Hanuman? What am I going to do with you?"

"You could feed me! After this, I want bacon."

"And how, precisely, am I going to accomplish that?"

"Lieutenant! They're too strong, we can't kill those two!" a Marine cried. Hanley couldn't really tell who said it from the scattered and beaten men strewn about the courtyard. Lieutenant Morgan slowly turned and clenched his remaining human hand, making her wonder if all the men here enjoyed flairs for the dramatic.

"This is an order...whoever just said that...get a gun and kill yourself! I don't need useless soldiers!"

"He can't be serious!" Hanley cried, jaw dropping in shock when they actually began to lift up their pistols and point them awkwardly at their temples. Every single one of them was shaking and sweating profusely, too scared to refuse and having to suffer at the hands of their superior officer.

"What the hell do these dumb Marines think they're doing??" shouted Zoro. Luffy said nothing. The next moment, he was moving forward at an incredible speed.

"I am the Marines' worst enemy!" he declared, jumping and raising his fist, "If you have guts then execute me!"

Morgan blocked the blow with his ax. The men slowly lowered their guns, choosing to watch instead.

"People like you, with no status, have no right to oppose me," Morgan said, snarling, "I am Marine Lieutenant Ax-Hand Morgan!" He rushed forward, consumed by rage and preparing to chop Luffy in half.

"My name is Luffy, nice to meet you," he answered simply.

"Go to Hell!!" Morgan swung his ax in a horizontal arc, moving with surprising skill. Luffy easily jumped over it, and the nearby fence and concrete wall to their left split in half from the force of the swing.

Coby screamed, "The fence broke in half just like that!"

"Huh, I suppose there is some reason why he's a ranking officer," Hanley said. She wasn't worried, though, Luffy would have no problem with the man at all. Though, she did have this annoying sensation that she was missing something.

Luffy brought his knees to his chest in mid air and pushed his feet outward in a double kick. They hit Morgan square in the face and he crashed heavily to the ground, skidding back a couple of feet. Luffy landed in a crouch, his mouth set in a line.

'Morgan must have really ticked him off, huh...' she thought.

Again, Luffy charged forward. Morgan was back on his feet in a moment, and he grabbed his ax handle (through his elbow, the sight was disgusting) and tried a vertical slash to cleave Luffy in two.

"You little bastard!" Luffy spun out of the way, in what looked to be a modified butterfly twist, and kicked Morgan hard in the face.

"I'm not dead yet!" Luffy said cheerfully, now smiling.

Coby shook his head. "I thought it was impressive when he went against Alvida, but this is different. He's too strong..."

"Yeah, he's always been that way," Hanley remarked. Morgan wasn't giving him a good exercise, though, she could see that clearly.

'He'll be unsatisfied and even more restless later,' thought Hanley, sighing. That was when Luffy tended to be at his most insufferable.

Hanley ignored the gawking Marines and concentrated on the fight even when she could hear someone approaching. She wasn't going to worry about it.

'I think I know who it is...'

Morgan was sprawled helplessly in the dirt, and Luffy had taken a hold of his shirt and yanked him up.

"Some great Marine you are! You destroyed Coby's dreams and goal..." Ah, so that was why he got riled up.

Hanley heard the cocking of two guns behind her.

"Wait!" a shrill voice ordered. Luffy looked over in their direction before turning and punching Morgan in the face anyway.

Helmeppo sputtered. "You idiot! I told you to wait!"

Hanley turned her head and saw the kid had stolen two flintlocks and was now pointing them at her and Coby. She took in his sweaty face and nervous posture.

"Oh, Hanuman, looks like we've been taken hostage," called Hanley.

"Yeah, I see," Luffy answered, "d'you think you can get un-hostaged? I'm still kicking this guy's ass."

"Hey now! Show more concern! With that attitude I might never make you any more bacon."

That got his attention.

Luffy scowled furiously at Helmeppo and took a threatening step forward. "Bastard, let them go!"

"Haha, do you see how he treats me, Coby?" Hanley asked in amusement, knowing better than to take that personally.

Coby bit his lip. "Hanley-san, I...would it be okay if--"

"I don't know what you want to do, but I really doubt this guy can hurt me, so go ahead."

Coby nodded. "Luffy-san! I don't wanna be in your way! I'm not afraid of death!"

"Okay...I know!" answered Luffy, smiling. "You hear that, stupid son?? Coby's not afraid of death! 'Sides, Hanley's about to kick your ass!"

While Luffy had his back turned, Morgan had stood up, achingly, and raised his arm.

"I am...the great Marine Lieutenant..."

Zoro placed his katana back into this mouth.

"I'll shoot! I swear I'll--" Hanley whipped around and struck, hitting Helmeppo in the throat with quick spearhand. Helmeppo dropped the pistols and fell to his knees while clutching his throat, choking and turning beet red as he tried to breathe.

"Damn kid," Hanley grumbled.

"You're really fast!" Coby said in awe as Zoro sliced Morgan across the torso. The Lieutenant fell and finally remained still.

"Leave it to me, Captain."

Hanley picked up her bag. "At least Zoro's reliable." She and Coby made their way over to where the two stood.

"That Morgan wasn't much, was he, Hanuman?" asked Hanley, raising a hand to tug at his hair. Luffy sighed.

"Naw, I was hoping for more, but I guess not."

The Marines could only stand and stare with stupefied expressions on their faces.

"The Lieutenant lost! He's been defeated!"

Zoro calmly sheathed his swords.

"If you still want to arrest us, come and get us."

They chose to party instead.

The men threw up their caps and danced wildly, cheering and crying so loudly they could probably be heard throughout the town. Luffy looked around in confusion.

"What's going on? They seem to be happy that Morgan was defeated."

"Hm, I'm guessing Morgan wasn't popular, Hanuman," Hanley said, blinking.

Coby smiled. "They really hated him!"

"Can you blame them? That guy was a first class asshole!"

"Heh, that makes things easier..." Zoro remarked—right before he collapsed.

"Oh, man, I suppose tea and cookies weren't enough."

*

Zoro polished off another bowl of soup and set it aside with a gusty sigh. The group had headed back into town after the fight to be greeted with cheers and applause. Hanley knew Morgan wasn't welcome, but even she was a little surprised at the amount of partying everyone was doing.

'Ugh, what time is it?' Hanley thought as she glanced at the clock. She gave a tired sigh when she saw that it was late in the afternoon, not even evening yet. She could barely believe all of this happened within a day.

'And to think, this entire situation could have been avoided if _someone _at the Headquarters came down for an inspection. It's not like that arrogant fuck was subtle. How long have they lived like this? This is beyond shameful.'

Rika-chan had been quick to invite them to her house for a celebratory meal, and the rest of them carefully refrained from mentioning the "tea party" upstairs. It was much better getting a good meal through the front door.

Hanley set her own plate aside and took a sip of her black tea, trying not to stare at the crowd pushed against the window to stare at the so-called saviors. Honestly, it was a little embarrassing.

"I'm finally full! I nearly starved to death after nine days!" Zoro exclaimed, leaning back in his chair. Hanley was still trying not to stare at his light green hair.

Luffy paused. "Then it's impossible for you to last a month."

"You're so scrawny, how come you can still eat more than me?"

"Ha, this is nothing! Hanuman had a snack earlier, after all," Hanley told him. Luffy nodded and swallowed.

"Yeah, this is pretty good!"

"I'm sorry, I also ate a lot," said Coby, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Rika's mother only smiled and continued washing and putting away their dishes.

"It's quite alright," she was absolutely beaming, "keep eating, you saved our town!"

Hanley stretched and sighed. "I'm just so glad this is over! I hope we don't run into any more trouble, _Hanuman_."

"Why're you lookin' at me?" Luffy asked.

Zoro spoke up then, looking curious. "What are your plans next?"

"I am going to head for the Grand Line!"

Hanley was forced to slap Coby's back when he choked on a piece of food. Once he managed to collect himself, Coby immediately began to _freak out_.

"What?? You're saying crazy things again! How can the three of you enter the Grand Line? Don't you understand? The world's strongest pirates all gather there!"

"Hey, hey!" Hanley interrupted, gently pushing his shoulders so he sat down. "First of all, breathe before you give yourself a heart attack. I mean, really, you're starting to worry me. Second, that's why we're going! We have things to do and people to see there! That's worth risking it, I think."

"Hanley-san, even you're saying rubbish!"

"Geez, Coby-kun..."

Zoro shrugged. "If we're going for One Piece, we pretty much have to go in that direction. Besides, what are you so worried about, it's not like you're going with us."

"Even though I'm not going, I will still worry! Can't I worry about you guys? Luffy-san, I know we've only just met, but we're still friends, aren't we?"

"Yup! Even though we have to part, we'll always be friends!" answered Luffy, grinning widely. Hanley had never seen anyone look so happy as Coby did in that moment. He was nearly in tears, and when he managed to get the words out they were soft and a little difficult to understand. But the feeling was there, regardless.

"I've never had friends growing up. Every time I would be picked on, no one would stand up for me, but...when I look at you three, I am humbled, and...you've taught me to live by my dream!"

Luffy gave him a look. "Yeah, that's why we're going to the Grand Line."

"Yeah, that's true," Coby admitted, scratching his head sheepishly. Then he shook his head and was shouting again, "No!! What I meant is, you're too reckless!"

Zoro cut his tirade short with a sharp tap to the forehead.

"First of all, worry about yourself. Even though you were just doing chores on a pirate ship, you're still a small pirate. Don't underestimate the Marine's ability to gather information. If they know your past, they won't let you join for sure."

Hanley nodded. Now that he mentioned it, that was a very good point. But Coby was seen with them and interacting with them. She really, really hoped they wouldn't hold that against the poor guy. It would be just their luck.

Their conversation was cut short by the door opening and one of the Marines stepping inside. Hanley didn't recognize him from the ones in the courtyard earlier that afternoon. He must have been second-in-command, judging from the way the others fell into line on the street.

"Excuse my coming in, but we are wondering, are you really pirates?"

Luffy, naturally, couldn't wait to tell him how right he was.

"Yup! I just got a new crew member. We still need a flag, but we're pirates."

The Marine nodded as if he was expecting that answer and continued, "Even though you are pirates, in reality, you saved our town and base. But, since you are pirates, as Marines we cannot allow you to stay any longer."

Well, that was some bullshit.

"Please leave this place immediately! As for the events that occurred here, we will be reporting it to Headquarters."

The crowd outside became anxious and angry then, screaming at the Marines about the injustice. For a moment, Hanley was a little worried that they would become violent. They haven't forgotten about how Morgan was allowed to run roughshod over them, and they probably won't forget any time soon; seeing the Marines kicking their heroes out of town was looking to be the final straw.

The unpleasant mutterings became louder and louder, until finally Luffy stood and began walking to the door.

"Well, that's that! I guess we're going, then! Thank you for the food, ma'am."

'Looks like he noticed it, too. Better not make a fuss.' Hanley bowed deeply to Rika and her mother and collected her bag. She caught up to Luffy by the door with Zoro close behind.

Only Coby was left.

"Hey." Oh shit. "Aren't you with their group?" the new commander asked him, face unreadable.

Coby jumped and sweated. "I...I...I'm not with them!"

Hanley glanced back and kept walking. This was what Coby wanted.

'Even though he can navigate...and even though he's sane...arg, why??' Hanley was actually the first one out of the door, and for a moment, she thought they were in the clear; however, the man wasn't as dim as they were hoping for. He called out to Luffy to verify if what Coby said was the truth.

And Luffy promptly _told the man everything_.

Alarmed, Hanley turned around and began to head back inside.

'What the fuck is he trying to do?? Just say no, idiot!' Zoro quickly intercepted her, which she definitely was not expecting.

"Just watch, he knows what he's doing," Zoro muttered.

"Are you nuts?" hissed Hanley.

"You really don't understand men, do you, Hanley?"

At this point she wasn't in the mood. "I'll get over it."

Zoro actually looked a little amused at her response, but any further conversation was cut off by Coby rearing back and punching Luffy in the jaw. Hanley could just make out the hint of a smile on Luffy's face before he retaliated, punching Coby and bloodying his nose.

"You! You deserve a beating!"

'These guys...'

"Damn you, you deserve a beat down!" Luffy shouted, pummeling Coby across the face and torso. Hanley rolled her eyes and stomped back inside.

"Hanuman, that's enough, idiot!"

"Stop this at once! I will not have any more fights!" ordered the Marine commander as Hanley grabbed Luffy by the back of his vest and nodded to Zoro. "I know he isn't your nakama, please leave this town, immediately!"

"Right, right, we're going," Zoro said calmly, stepping outside. Hanley shoved Luffy in front of her.

"March, my annoying little monkey!"

"Shishi, it's been a while since you said that," Luffy remarked cheerfully.

"I suppose so."

Their new swordsman was up ahead, heckling the ones who tied him up to that post for nine days. "Come on! Didn't you want to arrest me??"

"Keep it up and I'll help them put you back into prison! You guys are real pieces of work, you know that, right?"

Zoro snorted. "Ha, I can't believe a woman like you is saying that."

"You're looking a little weak there, Mr. Zoro. Shall I carry you?"

"Keep your hands to yourself."

Hanley snickered before an idea crossed her mind. She made a beeline to one Marine and leaned in.

"Hi, those are some real nice boots you have there."

"U-Um..." he stuttered.

"You know, it'll be a while until I can replace the shoes I lost. Yours look brand new; are they?"

"Well, yes--"

"I think that since we were nice enough to _do your jobs for you_, and since you won't be compensating our time for that, you should consider giving me your boots as a peace offering."

The Marine cleared his throat and looked to his friends for help.

They looked just as nervous as he did.

Finally, he sighed and began to untie his boots.

"You have done us a good service, ma'am--"

"I know. Boots, please." She waited long enough for him to step out of them before snatching them up. "Yoink. Thanks! You really helped me out." She wasn't going to put them on just yet until she washed her feet (ugh, it almost hurt to think about the dirt and grime), but that could be taken care of in the boat.

Luffy grinned as she approached.

"And you didn't want to be a pirate."

"Well, it's not so much the stealing as being executed if I'm caught."

Zoro nodded. "That's a risk. Ah, well, life's not worth living otherwise."

Hanley hummed in response and shifted her bag on her shoulder. It was just the thing Luffy would say, that Ace would have said if he were here and not who knows where. It's been a while since she has thought of him, mostly because it got a little complicated. Hanley hoped they would run into each other, even if she wasn't sure what she was going to do when that happened.

They reached the dock and the small sailboat Luffy and Coby rode in on. As Luffy began to untie the mooring rope, Zoro turned back on the town, looking a little satisfied.

"Nice act! This way, even though he's been a pirate before, it wouldn't be such a big deal."

"Yeah," Hanley agreed, tossing her new boots into the boat and ruffling Luffy's hair, "sorry I tried to beat you up earlier, my bad." She really should have more self-restraint, but sometimes she couldn't help herself. Agh, something _else_ for her to work on.

He let her muss up his hair before fixing his hat. "It's alright! Anyway, I believe Coby will become stronger and more independent in the future!"

"In any case, it's time to go, or else there's no telling what'll happen. Not leaving anything behind, that's what pirates are all about!"

"For someone who didn't want to be a 'bad guy' hours earlier, you're taking to it pretty fast," commented Hanley, grinning at him. She hopped into the boat and set down her bag. "Pretty soon you'll be wearing an eye-patch and teaching your pet parrot to say 'Matey.'"

"No, but I am sure that you put too much thought into that," Zoro replied dryly.

"Lu...Luffy-san!" came a cry from behind. To their surprise, Coby was standing in the empty street, huffing from exertion. It took a moment for him to regain his breath, but he pulled himself upright and gave them a crisp salute. "Thank you very much! I will never forget you for the rest of my life!"

"He really is sweet, you know. Are you sure we can't keep him?" Hanley asked Luffy, snickering when Coby nearly fell over from shock.

"Naw, Coby has his dreams," answered Luffy, taking the question seriously before raising his hand, "Coby! We'll meet again someday!"

"Group salute!!" came the order but a second later. Hanley nearly fell overboard. _Where the fuck did they come from_? Hanley muttered under her breath and began to make herself comfortable. It didn't matter, even though she was sure she only looked away for just a second. Fucking weird place.

Luffy and Zoro clambered on soon after. Zoro quickly unfurled the sail and directed them away from the dock. It only took a moment for the wind to catch and they were sailing across the sea and away from Shell Town. Luffy waved and cheered at the crowds gathered behind them, and he was still exuberant even after the island was just a speck on the horizon.

"Yahoo!! We're off!! Grand Line, here we come!"

Hanley dipped her feet into the water, determined to wash away the day's grime. It was bad enough she was scaled and calloused—she refused to let her feet look gross. Luffy stretched once more for good measure and leaned back against the railing of the boat.

"Sorry we couldn't keep Coby, Hanley. But I promised to help him with his dream."

Hanley sighed. "I know, I guess I understand."

"Don't worry, I'll get someone for you! You did get me Zoro, after all, 's only fair."

"Can we get a girl?"

"You two are disturbing, I want you to realize this," Zoro interrupted.

"That's mean, I think the two of you are cute," Hanley cooed, smirking.

Both Zoro and Luffy made faces at her.

"Oh, right. Pirates and men are incapable of being cute, my bad," she continued, trying not to laugh. Luffy shook his head.

"You're such a girl, Hanley."

"That's because I am one."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot."

Hanley glared. "I should have let that whirlpool kill you."

Luffy laughed at her, only stopping when she reached forward and tugged his cheeks.

"Well, I don't care. You'll always be my adorable Hanuman!"

"Boo, Hanley! You can't treat men this way!"

Zoro rolled his eyes at their antics before settling into a more comfortable position on the tiny craft. Hanley let Luffy's cheeks go and dug into her bag.

"You hungry? I got a couple of non-perishables in here."

"Ooh, I want some!"

"I only got one bag of these crackers, though."

"That's okay."

Hanley handed them to him before digging into her pack. She still didn't know what exactly Master Thai put in here. Hanley never had a lot of clothes, so he seemed to be able to stuff them all in here. She found her ring and Jizo quickly enough. They both looked to be safe, and Hanley slipped the ring onto her left forefinger. He was also thoughtful enough to pack her goggles and her gloves. When her hand reached the bottom, however, she frowned when she felt some kind of metal container. With a grunt, she tugged it out and opened it.

"What is this, a scroll?" Hanley muttered, carefully dumping the contents into her hand. It was old and the parchment was discolored. The kanji were beginning to fade, and Hanley could feel her mind numbing trying to make sense of it. It was even worse than the sutra Master Thai made her read!

"Wha's zat?" asked Luffy, mouth full.

"Finish chewing, please," she answered out of habit. Hanley examined her find more closely.

'Oh, thanks, Grampa. I can barely fucking read it,' thought Hanley, squinting until her eyes were practically slits, as if that would help in identifying the radicals, 'no, I think I got it. Rokushiki? Soru...Geppou...I think that's gibberish. I think the man gave me gibberish.'

Hanley turned the scroll in her hands, deep in thought.

'Actually...' She took a closer look, and forced herself to read more critically. At first glance it did look a lot like the overly philosophical, overly complex bullcrap her grandfather had forced her to read when he wasn't stomping her face into the ground. However, there was a connection here, a common thread that ran through the radicals and took a form she could actually understand. Under the fluff of "transcending common human boundaries," something looked very familiar. 'These are techniques. This one here is showing me how to place my foot...and this one...how to project my arm at high speed...where the fuck did this come from? I had no idea he had anything remotely like this.'

This must have been what he meant by her finishing her training on her own. Perhaps this was his treasure. It made a lot more sense this way; could this have been what Yura wanted all of those years ago?

"Rokushiki, hm? Well, I better get started, then."

**********

To be continued. As always, reviews are loved.


	10. Interlude II

I was going to wait until the next chapter to post this as a companion piece, but I was convinced to just go ahead and throw this up there. Chapter...what is it, nine or something (?), is about 50% complete! So look forward to that!

Without further ado, another interlude!

OH. Also, thanks to all my reviewers and peeps who follow this! I'm at sixty reviews!! I can't believe it! I'm spinning with glee!

_Hanley_

Interlude II: The Adventures of Garp and Krutty, Part One

**********

Monkey D. Garp

"Oh? He's started walkin', Omae?"

To say that Monkey D. Garp was an unusual Marine would be the equivalent to noting that the sun was merely warm and that ice was just a little cold. Garp was exceedingly reckless, and he was infamous for his selective memory and lawbreaking to the point his peers weren't sure whether he was a genius obfuscating stupidity or simply damned lucky. His mentor often said that he really was more of a pirate than anything, and no one really knew what made the man tick.

Well, everyone but his wife, but she was even worse than he was, somehow.

Garp's nearly unprecedented physical prowess ensured that he reached officer status in a short amount of time; the fierce loyalty he inspired ensured that he was already commanding the base in Shell Town in his early twenties. There was little doubt he would be moved to the Grand Line by the time he reached thirty.

Garp took his recent promotion to Lieutenant in stride, even though it meant spending large amounts of time away from his wife and infant son. It was her idea to use the base's Den Den to communicate, and he cheerfully went along with it even though it broke several regulations regarding confidentiality or whatever (he couldn't be bothered to remember).

"Yes, he took his first steps today! Granted, it was so he could get a better look at my kitchen knives," his wife answered, her voice was practically brimming with pride.

Garp scratched his goatee and leaned further back in his chair.

"Oh, I wonder if we should be worried?"

"Haha, it's fine! He'll just be a child interested in knives!"

"Bwahaha, indeed! Nothin' like a hobby to keep a boy sharp."

"Oh, sharp, was that intentional?"

"What was intentional?"

"Nevermind, Anata."

Garp's men sighed from their desks, looking put upon as usual. Garp idly wondered why a great many people got that look around him, but shouts from outside his office door gained his attention.

"Oi, oi! What's this?" He looked vaguely curious but didn't even move his feet from the surface of his desk.

"Oh, it sounds very lively as usual over there," Garp could hear the amusement in her voice over the Den Den, "shall I let you go? It's nearly time for Dragon's nap anyway."

"No fair, Omae, I haven't seen you in weeks--"

The door burst open to reveal his Petty Officer, who looked incredibly shaken and out of breath. From what he could remember, the man has always been the easily excitable type.

"Lieutenant, sir! We have a distinguished visitor!"

"I didn't hear news of that," Garp grumbled, irritated at the interruption.  
"That would be due to the fact this trip was made in secret," came a very solemn voice from the hallway. The Petty Officer jumped and quickly opened the door all the way, ending his actions with a crisp salute. Garp's laughter when he finally laid eyes on his visitor could be heard all the way to the courtyards.

"Commodore Sengoku! It's been a good year, hasn't it?"

Sengoku sighed and idly wiped his glasses. "Indeed it has."

Whereas Garp's status as hidden genius was easily up for debate, in Sengoku his intelligence was clearly defined and recognized. If Garp's momentum through the ranks was astoundingly fast, then Sengoku's rise to fame could only be described as nothing short of fucking ridiculous.

The two men were the same in size, only Sengoku's attire was much more decorated with the pins and ribbons of his station. The only real oddity about his appearance was his large afro, the only vanity the man allowed himself.

Sengoku wasted no time in motioning for Garp's men to vacate the room post haste. He sat primly in the leather chair across from his colleague and crossed his arms.

'Heh, he looks so severe as usual,' thought Garp, grinning widely. If Sengoku deigned to grace them all with his presence, it must be something _good_.

"What brings you here to East Blue?" Garp asked, forgetting or simply not caring his wife was still on the line and could easily hear their conversation. It didn't matter, he trusted her with his life.

"Obviously, this is not a pleasure trip." Sengoku's eyes fell on the receiver in Garp's hand and his eyes narrowed.

"Something wrong?"

The receiver was plucked out of his fingers and set back in its cradle. Garp stared at the offending hand and whipped around.

"Using Marine communications for personal use violates code A234 dash 2. It is a wonder you haven't been written up for your constant transgressions, Monkey D. Garp."

Garp had never seen the man before, and he somehow managed to look more severe than Sengoku on his worse days. His eyes flickered to the window behind him.

'Shut tight, and I didn't hear it open. Where did this bastard come from?' Garp's grin grew positively manic. His instincts were right, this _was_ going to be good. It was for the best, anyway. Things had gotten to be too quiet for his tastes. Garp wasn't a warmonger or anything of the sort, but he was always itching for a good fight.

The man didn't look as if he belonged to the Marines at all, not even the eight Cipher Pol cells. He was dressed in all black, from the slacks, to the silk shirt, to the carefully pressed vest, with the only spot of color on his person being the deep red ascot tied firmly around his neck. Garp had no doubts the effect was intentional—severity, in his experience at least, was a means of intimidation. It made the man's silver hair and red eyes stand out even more. If Garp _were_ the type to be afraid, the man's appearance and mysterious ability would have worked to unsettle him. It would have made him pliable to whatever Sengoku had planned and made him react instead of act.

So Garp met the man's eyes unflinchingly, seeing a bit of grudging respect in that gaze. Garp would never be the most intelligent of men, nor the wisest, and he preferred gut instinct to forethought; however, he certainly didn't get to where he was by being willfully stupid.

Garp gave a grunt and threw Sengoku a look.

"Oi, is this a joke? Why is your butler here, you tryin' to start something?" Garp originally hailed from West Blue, and something about Sengoku's refined and articulate speech made his own accent all the more apparent when agitated.

"I can assure you, Garp, this is hardly a laughing matter." Sengoku pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Oh? I happen to find his referring to me as a butler amusing," the stranger remarked; although, he really didn't sound amused at all.

Sengoku cleared his throat. "This is Krut Thai. He will be staying here for a while."

"Any reason why? I don't really care, but you can't be hangin' up on my wife, you know. She'll beat you up and then I'll have to deal with the Brass."

Krut Thai raised an eyebrow.

"You are just as I imagined, Monkey D, Garp. Your attitude is refreshing." Krut Thai primly tugged at the leather gloves he wore. Garp doubted Krut Thai even knew the meaning of the word.

"What organization do you come from? I'm curious to know." Garp leaned against the arm of his chair, still smiling at the both of them as if they weren't interlopers.

"Technically, I do not exist, Mr. Garp. I am with Cipher Pol."

"Which one? Probably Five through Eight, I doubt Sengoku over there would bother with the lower numbers."

"Again, that's not your business."

"So you don't exist and it's not my business, even though you'll be working in my territory." It shouldn't really surprise him that the World Government would keep secrets such as this.

'If my wife were here, she would tell me that I should be concerned about _this_ at least. Hidden government agencies don't end well for _anyone_. Arg, this is too much. This is where thinking gets me.'

"Obviously," Sengoku spoke up, "this is on a need to know basis. We wouldn't even be here if I wasn't concerned that you would end up meddling in some fashion. You always meddle, Garp."

"Wahaha! It is as you say! What secret mission are you here for?"

"Kadru Handerson."

Garp's eyebrows raised and he scratched his goatee. Ho, it really would be as good as he hoped! Kadru Handerson was some kind of woman. They knew nothing about her, really. Not her age, not her birthplace, even though there were theories about it. Garp wasn't surprised at that...she was female, after all, and few things were more dangerous than the secrets of women. She was a thorn in the World Government's side; it wasn't as though she had done anything more disastrous than the average pirate crew, but rather it was what she represented. Every where she went she spread the seeds of chaos.

And now she was in his jurisdiction. Garp didn't even bother hiding his excitement.

Sengoku sighed and gave him a tired look. He probably predicted his reaction. Krut Thai's face was impassive, and it looked as if he really didn't care one way or the other.

"For all outward appearances you will retain command; however, I will be conducting my own investigations in the background. Considering the enemy, we must not go about this blindly. Proceeding with our guns blazing would be just the sort of thing she desires."

"You seem used to this. Doesn't it bother you, being in the shadows all the time?"

"Hmph, if it did, I'd have been Fleet Admiral by now."

Sengoku looked sharply at Krut Thai, who merely smirked at him. Garp laughed once more, slapping his knee before holding out his hand.

"I like ya, Krutty, let's be nakama, then."

Krut Thai blinked. "What did you just call me?"

"Krut Thai's too much. Krutty's better."

"It's the same amount of syllables, you oaf."

"Hn? So it is!"

Sengoku apparently had enough of them, as he stood and made his way over to the door.

"If that is all, I will take my leave. Garp, Krut Thai...it would be best if you do not fail us. This is a rare opportunity to bring in such a criminal that is dangerous to the government. You have your objective, so make sure it is completed."

"Yeah, yeah, you're the same as always," Garp muttered, digging in his ear.

"I do not know why your superiors insist on treating you easily, but rest assured I will not show you the same leniency, Monkey D. Garp." And Sengoku swept out of the office, his coat billowing with from some hidden wind.

After a moment, Krut Thai spoke. "I do believe he practices that in a mirror."

"Probably. Well, Krutty, let's get drunk!"

"I beg your pardon? It is only noon."

"I know. And?"

Krut Thai sighed at him.

**********

Until later!


	11. Coulrophobia

Okay, here is the next chapter! It took a bit longer than I thought—but in my defense, this is also the longest chapter I have written, at a whopping thirty-six pages if my Open Office is to be trusted :). So, at least you have something to sink your teeth into...right? Right?

As always, I thank everyone who has reviewed/favorited/alerted me over the past few months. I can't tell you enough how much it means to me to see tangible evidence that people are really enjoying what I write. I enjoy responding and writing for you guys, if you'll allow me to be sappy for a bit.

Special thanks to Spellcaster Hikaru for helping me out and taking the time to read it through before posting!

_Hanley_

Chapter Eight: A Slight Case of Coulrophobia

**********

Krut Hanley

"Rokushiki, the six powers, are that...um, which surpasses common human movement. The ability to break through the limitations placed upon the world of Illusions—only those...shit, can't read that, so skip ahead, skip ahead...Soru, to use leg strength explosive enough to seemingly cause one's body to disappear. Geppou, to kick on the air to float; Shigan, to pierce the body like an arrow; Kami-e, to move with the ease of paper; Rankyaku, to move fast enough to create slicing winds; Tekkai, to turn the body into an iron carapice...um, can't read that so skip ahead, skip ahead..."

Zoro cracked open an eye. "How's that training going? You're skipping quite a bit."

"Shut your hole, Roronoa, before I stick something in it and force you."

"...That wasn't intentional, was it--"

"No, that was a psychological slip that I don't even want to explore, so shut up."

If Hanley thought she was in cramped quarters before, she didn't know how lucky she had it. Two people in a dinghy that size pushed the boundaries of comfort, but three broke through them completely. She spent the night sandwiched between the two of them, which was all kinds of annoying (Luffy moved a lot and Zoro's elbow kept digging into her side, for starters). It was enough to make Hanley seriously start scheming to steal a ship. She was at the point she honestly didn't care if it was piloted by nuns and carrying poor, beleaguered orphans—the next ship they came across, they were fucking stealing it.

Still, nonexistent personal space aside, Hanley was just relieved that they were on their way again, provided they didn't run into another random whirlpool in the middle of the ocean. She stretched her legs as best she could and continued unraveling the techniques in the scroll. It wasn't going very well, and Hanley really wondered if her grandfather was right in handing it over. Why the hell did he wait until now, anyway? She guessed that he must have taught her the basics already; otherwise, her training would probably be an effort in futility. That still left her with bringing it all together, though.

It didn't help that Zoro found her frustration somewhat amusing.

'At least he _has_ some sense of humor...even if it comes from a shriveled, black heart.'

At the end of the day, though, she really did like their new crew mate. He was sensible in a way Luffy wasn't, and that made things slightly easier. Hanley wouldn't go so far to say that they were polar opposites—really, it was more like they were complimentary. Similar enough so that the two of them got along very well, but different to the point that her sanity had a chance of surviving the voyage. It was very heartening.

Hanley had to keep herself from fretting too much over Zoro, though. He slept quite a bit. At first she thought it was boredom, but then she wondered if he was somehow diseased. Wasn't there some sort of sleeping sickness?

"Oi," Zoro spoke up after several moments of silence. Hanley looked up in surprise. He didn't seem to be the type for idle conversation (to be honest, she talked and muttered to herself enough for all three of them).

"Yeah, what is it?"

"What are you supposed to be anyway?" Zoro asked. It was probably for lack of something else to do on the cramped dinghy. He had been sleeping for the majority of their trip, but now it appeared he was going to remain awake for longer than ten minutes this time.

"Me?" Hanley scratched her chin, still a little surprised. "Nothing, really. Just a snake."

"A snake? I never head of that before. I figured you were a mermaid or something."

"Don't mermaids have tails and live underwater?"

Zoro shrugged. "It's not like I've ever seen one. It could be a lot of trouble—you stick out."

"Says the man with green hair, three swords, and a reputation?" Zoro only grunted in response, leaving her unable to tell if he agreed with her or not. Hanley shrugged and lightly tapped a scale on her knee.

"Besides," she continued, "I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to stick out no matter what I do, so I may as well do what I want. As the other solution would be to cover up my entire body as if I was ashamed of myself, I'd prefer the notoriety."

"Point."

Luffy groaned and slumped across Hanley, looking so pathetic it was all she could do not to coo at him. He had been unusually sedate so far. She quickly placed the scroll back into its container before it got damaged. She'll look at her grandfather's enigmatic crap later.

"Ugh, I'm so hungry," he complained, sticking out his tongue. Ah, that explained it...starvation.

"It's funny that neither of you have any navigation skills." Zoro somehow slumped down even further onto the deck, looking vaguely irritated.

Hanley gave him a half-hearted glare. "I don't see you getting us to land, Mr. Zoro." She got a small hint of amusement at the way he twitched when she said that. "Damn, if those Marines hadn't chased us out we could've gotten some food. But no...I should have taken more crap if I knew this was going to happen."

"'Sides, you wander like us, right, capturing hunted pirates for rewards," added Luffy.

Zoro yawned and idly leaned his head upon his hand.

"I don't remember me saying that I live completely off of rewards."

'Sure, but how much do you wanna bet that's how it turned out?'

"I was searching for a man," he continued, "that's why I left to the sea. But now, I can't find my way home."

"This may come as a surprise, but that's the definition of lost," said Hanley.

"Shut up! You're the ones who're lost!"

"And you're with us, idiot, what does that fucking tell you??"

Zoro rolled his eyes and ignored that remark. "Anyway, you should find a crew-mate who knows how to navigate."

"I've been telling Luffy that for years, for all the good it's done me."

Luffy nodded. "And someone who can cook, and someone who can sing--"

"Idiot!"

Then all of their stomachs grumbled and they nearly keeled over, crippled. Hanley hadn't felt this hungry since she first dropped in to One Piece, ten years ago. You never forgot something like that. She'll drag the damn boat with her teeth before she let herself get into that situation again.

Luffy tugged on her shirt. "Hanley, I really want bacon now."

"One, we don't have meat. Two, I don't have a stove up my ass, you realize."

"Yeah...hey, can you fish?"

Hanley groaned and pushed his hand away. "Again, how are we going to cook them?"

"So we eat them raw."

"Like sushi? I guess that's possible." It _had_ crossed her mind that she could bring some fish on board, but she had been hesitant to do so for several reasons.

'This had better not be setting a precedent.'

"Fine, you useless men, I'll bring home the food," Hanley snapped, standing up and unbuckling her shorts. Zoro immediately began to wave his arms in a cease and desist motion.

"Stop, what are you doing??"

'Should I be insulted?'

"Zoro, I'm not going swimming with my clothes on. I have a bathing suit."

"Ah."

She folded up her shirt and shorts and neatly placed them aside. Good thing she decided to keep the two piece on under her clothes.

"Right, I'll be back soon." Hanley balanced on the railing before letting herself fall backwards into a dive. The moment she hit the water she headed for deep sea, wanting to get it over with already. There weren't any schools of fish in the immediate area, so she ended going further away from the boat.

'This will be fun. No one on that boat knows anything about sushi.' Well, she couldn't speak for Zoro, but she had a feeling she wasn't mistaken. She had watched her grandmother back in Japan and Master Thai prepare fish, but seeing was quite a bit different from doing. And who knows if any of the fish out here were even the right grade? Hanley was pretty sure that there was a decreased chance of parasites in saltwater fish, but it really would be just their luck that they got sick and died.

'And there's no way to wash it, and the only utensils we have are Zoro's swords, and where are we going to gut them? If it weren't for the fact that I'm starving...'

After several fruitless minutes, Hanley threw up her hands and shook her head. Of course, it would be a moot point if she couldn't _find_ any.

'Oh come on, this is an ocean. Where the hell are they?' Hanley's eyes narrowed in annoyance and she looked up to check her position with the boat.

Only, it wasn't there any more.

Hanley panicked for a moment before she finally spotted something moving quickly in the distance.

'What the--??' Hanley angrily kicked off and sped after the boat, steadily gaining on it. 'What the hell is going on up there?'

When she was close enough, Hanley put on a burst of speed and leaped out of the water. She spotted Zoro rowing as if his life depended on it, and three men from who knows where, but Luffy was nowhere to be found.

Gravity caught up to her and Hanley fell back into the water. She kicked up and broke the surface again, but this time she grabbed the boat and hung on for dear life.

"Where's Luffy??"

"He tried to catch a bird and got eaten!" Zoro answered, keeping his eyes focused on the sky.

"_WHAT_??? Where is he?? I'll fucking kill him!"

"That guy's a lot of trouble."

"You think??" Hanley grumbled and she slid back on deck. She glanced over at their new guests. The three men looked pretty swarthy, possibly from a pirate crew if she wanted to be stereotypical about it. Hanley quickly dismissed them as harmless and was about to check on Luffy's position when one of the men all but shoved a short sword in her face.

"Hey, stop the boat!" He ordered, with his two buddies flanking him. "This is the pirate Buggy-sama's territory."

Hanley and Zoro looked at each other.

"Hey, give me a second," Hanley said.

"Sure thing."

"Unless you want to me to slit this woman's throat--" Hanley grabbed his wrist and sent her free fist crashing into his face. She grabbed the other two by their hair and slammed their heads together.

"What are you going to do with this woman's throat?" She ground their skulls together, sneering.

It took a moment for them to answer, but when they did they were very cowed. "N-Nothing!"

"Oh, well, that's what I thought."

Zoro cursed and checked the sky.

"I lost him."

Hanley bared her teeth and glared furiously at the men.

"Did you hear that?"

"Please don't hurt us!" What a set of weaklings. Hanley huffed and dropped them.

Zoro smirked. "Maybe we won't. Your next course of action decides that. Start rowing and we might have some mercy."

"Dammit, they made us lose Luffy, Zoro! Let me just toss them overboard."

"D-Did you say Zoro? Pirate Hunter Zoro??" cried the one with the cap, looking horrified.

Zoro smirked. "That's right, now start rowing."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

"We had no idea you were 'Pirate Hunter Zoro'! And we're very sorry, Miss..." groveled the man with the weird hair style. His cronies were rowing as if their lives depended on it.

Hanley ran her fingers through her hair and settled beside her crew mate.

"This is bullshit. Weren't you watching him?"

"Hey, don't blame me for this."

"I guess not. Still, this has to be the weirdest thing..." Hanley directed her attention to their slave labor. "But let me make one thing clear you three: if something so much as scratches Luffy I'll hold you personally responsible, am I clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" It wasn't enough to soothe her temper, but she forced herself not to take it out on them physically. Hanley tried not to think about the bird eating him...or that he dropped into the ocean and drowned while they were wandering around like a group of jackasses.

Hanley grit her teeth and tapped her nails against the rail of the dinghy.

'We haven't even been out here for a week! I know piracy is dangerous, but this is fucking stupid! I'm so damn pissed right now I could scream!'

It took her several moments, but Hanley was finally able to cool off enough so that she was able to talk somewhat civilly.

"Bastards. Why the hell were you in the ocean, anyway?" Naturally, her civil still included the odd profanity or five.

"Yes, yes, good question!" Cap Man said, rubbing his hands together in a show of humility. It only left her thoroughly unimpressed.

Weird Hair shook his fist angrily. "That girl!"

"Yeah, a bad girl!"

"But she's real cute, too!" Unibrow added. He gave her a look, "Although, miss, you're very nice yourself--"

"Die!" Hanley literally snarled at him. The man with the unibrow flinched back, but he still had a look on his face she didn't really appreciate.

"A-Anyway, the three of us just finished robbing a ship, and on the way back we saw a little boat out on the water. There was a girl slumped over the side." Hanley sighed and shared another look with Zoro. They knew where this was going.

Weird Hair picked up the tale. "At first, we thought she was really dying. She said she was in a ship wreck and asked us for some water and a bit of bread. 'Course, we were very, very concerned for her. She offered us some treasure to pay us back, but when we went over to inspect it, she stole our boat!"

"And the weirdest thing happened. She predicted a storm would come up and sink our boat. Sure as I'm sittin' here, it came true! It sunk the boat and we were stranded. It was horrible."

Hanley raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, sure, I care."

"But a girl that can predict the weather? She must be something special. I wonder if she'd join us," Zoro said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Hanley brightened and slapped his shoulder.

"Ooh, you're right! Luffy better find her for me!"

"...That's still disturbing, you know."

"Do you think she can navigate? Because then it'll be perfect."

"Extremely disturbing."

"It doesn't matter. If I find that wench, I'm gonna kill her." Weird Hair was scowling furiously. The other two nodded in agreement, although they looked hesitant. Finally Unibrow spoke what was on their minds.

"Still, we can't go back empty-handed. Buggy-sama will..."

"Buggy?" Zoro asked, "Who's Buggy?"

"He's our pirate leader. Haven't you ever heard of 'Buggy the Clown'? He's a dangerous man who ate one of the Akuma no Mi."

Hanley frowned thoughtfully. 'Buggy the Clown. Are you _serious_? How am I supposed to take that as a threat? Well, he did eat a Devil's Fruit. I wonder what kind.'

"Oh, this is so bad!" Cap Man moaned, "We're in deep trouble!" He pulled at his hat dramatically while his cohorts sobbed.

Zoro was a man of no pity, however. "Not nearly as deep as the trouble you'll find yourself in if our friend can't be found. Keep rowing!"

"Yessir!"

Hanley leaned back and worried her thumb nail. Dammit, Hanuman!

*

The trip didn't take that long, actually, about half an hour at most. Seeing as Luffy had been carried to who knows where, the only thing Hanley and Zoro could do was allow the men to take them to their current base. The three men pulled up to a fairly large harbor and quickly clambered out. One look from Zoro prevented their prisoners from running off.

"We're here, Master Zoro, Mistress Hanley!"

"Mistress? I don't know if I like the sound of that, but oh well," Hanley remarked as she tied the laces on her new boots. She grinned and shook her foot. They weren't that heavy and they fit fine. It would do until she got something she preferred. Hanley stepped onto the pier and looked around. She was beginning to think East Blue was filled with nothing _but_ towns. This one reminded her a lot of Eagle's Peak, from the design of the houses to the wide, open streets. Unlike Shell Town, this place was far more affluent, with paved roads and the average house being much larger in size. There was even a fountain a short distance away. While it made for a very lovely picture, there was currently only one small sailing craft tied up to the dock, and the town itself it was completely empty and devoid of any activity from what she could see. It may as well have been a ghost town.

'I'm also beginning to think the Marines are fucking lazy. Isn't an empty town suspicious in the _least_?'

Hanley noticed one of the men was watching her and placed her hands on her hips.

"Hey, what's going on, here?" she asked Unibrow. He smiled at her and she barely kept from shuddering. Apparently, he was the type that liked getting abused.

"Well, y'see Mistress," arg, that sounded really wrong! "Our Buggy Fleet is here at the moment, raiding this village."

"I see..." Hanley waited for Zoro to make his way onto the pier. He was looking around as well, left hand placed on the hilt of one of his swords. "Well, Mr. Zoro are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"We better go see this Buggy for information," Zoro confirmed. Hanley nodded. At this point there was little else they could do.

"D'you think these idiots will lead us to him?"

"We can always force them. Or, you can ask your willing servant--"

Hanley could feel her upper lip begin to curl upward, and it was all she could do to keep from making such an ugly expression. "You're not funny."

"Never claimed to be."

"Death awaits you."

Hanley couldn't keep from baring her teeth and sighed. This is not what she signed up for. It's a good thing her grandfather wasn't here to see this.

"Hey, generic pirate number three, can you take us to Buggy?"

Once he realized that she was referring to him, Unibrow eagerly nodded his head, looking more than ready to please. Hanley silently prayed that the rest of her life wouldn't be filled with these awkward, traumatizing moments, but given her track record, she had some doubts.

'Looks like there are all sorts of men in the world.'

Cap Man looked nervous, but his fear for hers and Zoro's wrath seemed to have won out.

"Buggy-sama must be at the headquarters right now, we should--"

The relative peace was shattered by a near deafening explosion. Hanley's first thoughts were that they were under attack, or that a bomb went off. The row of houses to their left were utterly annihilated, and they had to duck and raise their arms to protect themselves from the flying debris. It was over just as suddenly as it happened, and the mess left behind looked devastating. The once sturdy looking homes and stores were reduced to smoking timber and stone. The air was filled with smoke and a nasty, acrid scent that she couldn't quite identify. Hanley slowly and shakily got to her feet, very disturbed. Perhaps Buggy the Clown wasn't such a joke after all.

Before she even had the opportunity to freak out, Hanley was forced to focus her attention on Unibrow when he lunged for her and grabbed her legs.

"What the hell was that??" Zoro roared when the ringing in their ears had faded to the point where he could be heard.

"Please turn back, Mistress! That was Buggy-sama's Special Cannon Ball! He must be really angry!"

Hanley snarled and tried to pry the man off. "Special Cannon Ball?? And get the fuck off me!" She finally managed to punt him to the side and staggered backwards before he got the idea to repeat the performance. The other men from Buggy's crew were in similar states of distress. They absolutely refused to go any further.

"It can destroy a town this size in one shot, no way we're going back empty handed when he's in that kind of mood!" Weird Hair was so upset he was shaking.

"We'll have to follow the path of destruction, then," Zoro sighed as he moved forward.

In the wrong direction.

Hanley raised an eyebrow and checked where the cannon ball had demolished a row of houses, just to make sure she hadn't gone blind or delusional. Nope, he was somehow going in the wrong direction. She had no clue how that was even humanly possible.

"You have to be fucking kidding me." Hanley rolled her eyes. "Zoro! It's this way!" She even waved her arms and pointed.

"She's right, you know," Unibrow added.

"Yeah, agreeing with me won't get you into my shorts, you realize."

Zoro scowled and tapped the hilts of his swords. "If you say so. You better not be leading us in the wrong direction."

'God. I want a girl so bad and I don't care how that sounds!'

"I'm sure I can follow a fucking path. But if you start running in odd directions I'll carry you again." Hanley approached the wreckage and turned inland. In the far distance she could make out a large building at the end of the destruction. That looked to be a good place to start.

Hanley smiled. "Try to keep up."

"That's my line."

**********

Nami

Nami had been in the business of thievery and the like for several years now, but this was the first time she seriously feared for her life. Not that there wasn't a constant threat of death, even if she didn't put herself at risk on a regular basis. Still, Nami had always been confident in her wits and the predictability of sea-faring brutes. While their reasons were incomprehensible, you could always count on pirates to be dishonest, selfish, and greedy, so it was really nothing to plan accordingly. Unfortunately, she was now in a place where no amount of intelligence could get her out of. Nami honestly felt like kicking herself. She always made absolutely sure she never plotted herself into a corner, yet here she was.

She couldn't stop shaking.

It was difficult to describe just how she was feeling at that moment. Buggy's crew was an oppressive, murderous force behind her, growing and calling for blood as each second passed. Time was running short; yet, the only thing she could do was shake. The straw hat idiot sat before her, staring at her expectantly with wide-eyed...what could it really be called? Innocence? The thought that a pirate, _any_ pirate, could be innocent was hilarious in and of itself; however, Nami couldn't shake the notion that that was in the eyes that stared at her. He hadn't really done anything, had he? What if he was just some stupid kid mouthing off? It wouldn't be the first time.

To ensure that she was successful, she had to do a lot of things she wasn't proud of. Sometimes, she really wondered if she was being hypocritical.

'But if I let myself get killed here Kokoyashi will be doomed. But I can't be a murderer, I'm not like them!' Nami played a dangerous game and it appears to have finally caught up with her.

The men behind her were becoming increasingly rowdy. So far, luckily, they mistook her hesitance for feminine flightiness (which was also insulting, _who_ could ever be that stupid, male or female?). Nami was sure the matchbox in her hand was going to slip right out of her nerveless fingers when the boy in front of her began to speak.

"Your hand is shaking. That's no good, y'know. There's an oath that a pirate swears by, and you lack the strength to see it through."

Nami clenched her hands into fists in a futile attempt to keep him from seeing her tremble. For some reason, she felt a little ashamed of that. Why shouldn't she be afraid for her life? She had a village to save, and even then, there was nothing wrong with self-preservation.

"Strong oath, hm? And what would that be, coming from some pirate?" Her anger and disgust had returned at that point, and it was easier to look him in the eye. "Is it killing innocent people like insects? Is that the pirates' oath?"

The boy simply smiled at her, and for a moment Nami wondered if he was being deliberately mocking.

"No, it's not. It's the idea of being strong enough to risk your life! Can you do that?"

'Strong enough to risk my life? What does he know, I do that everyday! Every second I spend under Arlong's thumb I'm risking my life! I...this situation isn't any different! Don't look down on me!'

Finally, one of the men roughly snatched the box of matches from her hand. He struck the match and bent down to light the fuse.

"Stop wasting your time, new kid. You have to put the fire just against the cannon fuse and light it, see?" His back was to her, leaving him wide open. If she didn't do anything, it would be just as if she lit the fuse herself!

Nami grit her teeth and whipped out the three pieces to her staff. Her arms moved as if they had a life all on their own, snapping the pieces together and bringing the staff down on the unsuspecting goon's head. He crumpled to the ground and didn't move. Even though it only took one blow, the adrenalin had her gasping for breath and her blood was pounding in her ears.

Almost immediately, the mob turned vicious behind her. Nami couldn't turn around, not wanting to face them.

'Crap, I didn't even realize what I was doing!'

Buggy was practically beside himself, and Nami barely managed to get through her fear to focus on his words.

"Nami, you idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing?? I actually gave you the honor of lighting the cannon's fuse because you're my crew member!"

"Oh, you're saving me now? How weird," the boy commented, seemingly unaware of what was about to happen. Nami wanted to strike him, too.

"You idiot, shut up! I—I didn't save you for that reason! Even though I was acting, I didn't want to become an evil pirate!" Because the line was dangerously thin _already_. "Pirates stole the life of someone precious to me, I hate them more than anything!"

"Ah...so that's why you hate pirates." He paused, then screamed. "The fuse is still burning! Dammit, I'm gonna die!" He began to chew on the bars in desperation, even though he didn't have nearly enough time to escape. Nami looked down, horrified to see that the bastard still managed to light the fuse.

'No! I was too slow! Was it all for nothing??'

Buggy gesticulated wildly, his face coming close to matching his nose in color.

"So much for your people-playing skills, you bitch! Kill her, painfully!"

Nami was sweating profusely, trying to come up with a solution that would get her out of this alive. Fighting her way out was out of the question, but she had a chance of defending herself if she ignored the lit fuse.

Which would promptly defeat the purpose of her risking her life.

Not only Buggy, there was an entire crew of angry murderers about to bear down on her. Her hands tightened on her staff, wondering if she was just delaying the inevitable. Once they took her out, the kid was still going to get blasted into pieces! It was all so frustrating!

Nami desperately swung her staff at the first wave of attackers, but they dodged so easily it was laughable.

"I can't die this way!" her victim screamed behind her. Nami threw her staff aside and dove for the cannon. In desperation, she wrapped her hands around the fuse, snuffing out the flame. If nothing else, she wouldn't be the direct cause of his demise.

'This was supposed to be simple! Bellemere!' Nami thought as she cried out in pain. The heat burned her palms, but she had no time to dwell on it.

"You damn woman!" a man shouted above her. Nami looked up and shrieked when _another_ man fell from the sky and landed in front of her. Nami didn't recognize him, although the green hair and three swords were very familiar. Whoever he was, he took one look at the situation and was quick to protect her, blocking Buggy's henchmen with the scabbards of two of his swords. The man did it with such ease Nami couldn't help but feel a little intimidated. It didn't help that he looked pretty angry when he turned in her direction.

"Stop manhandling me, you crazy woman!" Nami blinked and glanced behind her.

'What did I do to deserve this? Why are all these crazy people dropping in on me _today_ of all days??' Nami had to assume the woman was the man's companion, from the familiar way he spoke—well, shouted—at her. The woman was easily taller than she was, probably even taller than the swordsman who saved her life. But what really made her stand out was the spattering of dark blue scales on her arms and legs. It was enough to set off several alarms in Nami's mind. 'Who is she? Is she one of them?? But Arlong couldn't have known where I'd be--' It was pretty paranoid of her, but she didn't live this long not to consider every possibility.

The woman wasn't intimidated by the man's glares at all; in fact, it looked as if they riled her up even more.

"Don't yell at me, Zoro! I wouldn't have had to throw you if you were capable of following a _straight fucking path_. Are you serious?? What is up with you??"

"You were going the wrong way!"

"Obviously not since I was the one that got you up here!! I'm starting to think you were dropped on your head as an infant!"

"And I'm starting to think you have some sort of complex!"

"Hi guys! Can you get me out, now?" The boy interrupted cheerfully, as if they weren't verbally flaying each other.

The two of them stared at him before sighing.

"Monkey D. Luffy." The woman squatted so she was able to look into the cage. Nami couldn't see her face very well, but the kid cringed a little at the tone before pouting.

"Aw, Hanley, what'd I do? You only say my name like that when I do something."

"For all the good that does me! Idiot! Why did you grab that bird??"

"Oh, is that all? I told you I was hungry and you were really slow like usual."

Hanley's lips thinned and she suddenly reached through the bars and grabbed his shoulder in a tight grip.

"Repeat that."

"Um, sorry?"

"You're learning, how nice. Now, tell me who did this to you so I can grind their bones to make my bread."

Nami heard Zoro sigh. "She definitely has a complex." He straighted and walked towards her. "Hey, you're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm...I'm okay," answered Nami, still trembling slightly. Somehow, against all odds, they were saved. She didn't really believe in a god but this was definitely a situation where some sort of thanks was in order.

The woman named Hanley slapped the iron top of the cage, face dark.

"I'm so fucking angry right now! I'll just beat them all up, hm? Is there one you want me to rip apart in particular? I can't forgive this."

Luffy (so that was his name, odd) only laughed, apparently finding her bloodthirstiness _amusing_.

"You worry too much!"

'He better not tell her who was the one that got him put into that cage in the first place!' Nami thought.

Meanwhile, the mere mention of Zoro's name had the pirates muttering nervously amongst themselves. It was also enough to jog her own memories of him. "Pirate Hunter" Roronoa Zoro, a powerful bounty swordsman that made his living off imprisoning famous pirates. Why was someone like that with this kid, a professed pirate? It made little sense!

Buggy looked Zoro over, thinking over the recent turn of events. He was no longer screaming for her blood, now that there was a genuine threat in front of him. He crossed his arms and chuckled.

"You're definitely Zoro. Are you aiming for my head?"

"No, I've no interest in that," Zoro replied, even going so far as to turn his back to him. "I'm no longer a pirate hunter because I have quit."

Hanley looked as if she didn't care for that at all. She made a face and leaned against the iron cage.

"Zoro, what are you saying? I don't really care if they're raiding this place or not, but they tried to blast Hanuman to pieces! We should break some bones at least!"

"Then you do something about it," Zoro shrugged, looking unconcerned.

"Tch! Like I need your help anyway. Once I'm done, I can carry you to safety, _handsome_."

"Do you know how creepy you can be??"

Luffy didn't appear to hear their conversation at all. "Hanley, get me out already!"

"Don't worry, I'll help you, Hanuman. It's a shame they didn't try shooting you. Hey, maybe for your next trick you can try stopping a cannonball."

"Heh, maybe!"

Nami stared, wide eyed, not sure if she should be surprised or just plain horrified.

'This is...the strangest thing I have seen.'

Buggy ended up being the one to break up their insane banter by drawing several knives out of his coat.

"Amusing! It's about time something amusing happened! Still, I have some interest as killing you would raise my status quite a bit."

Zoro didn't miss a beat, still looking as if he could barely be bothered with any of the nonsense going on around him.

"If you don't wanna die, then just leave me alone."

"Zoro, do you practice those kind of phrases in the mirror? You must be popular."

"Shut up, Hanley."

The pirates, on the other hand, began cheering, once more calling for blood. Nami began to inch backwards, a little too close to the conflict for her liking. Then again, that would move her closer to whatever Hanley was. Her decision was made for her when Buggy suddenly moved into action, forcing Zoro to draw his weapons.

"Fine, if that's what you want," he snapped, meeting Buggy's charge.

The scuffle lasted only for a moment, ending when Zoro's three swords sliced Buggy to pieces. Nami screamed in horror.

"Eh? What a weak guy!" Luffy exclaimed. Count on a pirate to be unmoved by slaughter, even if it was deserved. Zoro sheathed his swords and made his way over to the cage.

"Hm, he died really easily."

Hanley frowned slightly, but her attention turned to Zoro as she patted him on the arm.

"Nice going!"

"Hanley!" whined Luffy. She sighed and knelt on the rooftop.

"Hanuman, my little idiot, you're stronger than I am and made of rubber. Why couldn't you have just snapped the ropes and squeezed through the bars?"

Luffy stared, then gasped. "Oh!"

"It didn't even cross your mind??? Hold still, my god what have I done to deserve this—don't answer, Zoro." She reached through the bars and grabbed a hold of the ropes. She snapped the bindings with little effort and tugged them lose.

'Rubber? What does that mean?' Nami turned her attention back to Buggy's crew, her mind quickly turning to more important matters. 'What concerns me is those pirates. Their leader's dead but now they're laughing??'

Zoro just looked irritated with their behavior. His face looked grim, but Nami was starting to think that was simply his normal expression.

"What is so damned funny??"

"They're pretty weird." Luffy nodded in agreement. Hanley rolled her eyes and took a hold of Luffy's vest.

"Pay them no mind, Mr. Zoro. It must be the gore--" Hanley froze, and Nami suddenly realized what she was getting at. She was really off her game today—missing something so obvious was unacceptable!

'I must be stupid! There's no blood!'

"Zoro, he's not dead!"

It was too little, too late. A hand flew through the air, seemingly out of nowhere, with a dagger clutched tightly in its grasp. Zoro barely managed to avoid getting gutted through the liver, but the dagger found its way into his side regardless. He let out a strange gurgle and he fell to his knees, blood dribbling down his chin.

"Zoro!" Luffy screamed, lunging forward but was stopped by the iron bars. The laughter became even louder, unbearably so at the looks of shocks on their faces.

"Zoro, hey, hang in there!" Hanley was at his side, holding him up and pressing her hand against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. "Shit!"

"W-What is it??" To his credit, Zoro remained relatively calm considering the nature of the attack. Even with Hanley fussing over him, he managed to turn and face the threat, sword held in a defensive position.

"The Bara Bara no Mi," Buggy said. Nami whirled around at the sound of his voice and nearly screamed again. Buggy's various body parts were twitching independently of each other, floating in the air like a demented puppet in some macabre puppet show. If she focused she could even see the bone and muscle and blood vessels between each. "That's the name of the Devil Fruit that I ate! No matter how you try to slice me up, you can't because I'm a sectioned man!"

'This can't be right, that makes no sense in the natural world! Is it magic?'

Nami shook her head. "I thought the Devil's Fruit was a myth!" Because who could believe people splitting apart and changing shape at will?

"A sectioned man?? What a monster!" Luffy exclaimed, clutching the bars of his cage. Buggy chuckled darkly and licked the blade of his dagger.

"I see I've missed your vital organs, Roronoa Zoro! But with that serious injury of yours, it's still an okay victory, wouldn't you say?" His men were quick to posture and cheer.

"Captain's so cool!"

"Go kill him off! Send 'em away!"

Nami looked back at Zoro, both in concern for his health as well as _hers_. He was red faced and huffing from pain, and his hand was doing little to stem the blood flow. With such a major injury, he'd bleed out in minutes.

"Dammit, I knew he had eaten some kind of Devil's Fruit...I was careless--" Zoro stopped short in surprise when Hanley ruffled his hair. Her face was stony and didn't match the light, carefree tone in her voice.

"Mr. Zoro, rest here for a bit, hm? Luffy, let me see something, okay?"

Nami herself was moments away from sinking into despair. And she was so close to getting away! She turned back to Buggy and his crew, who were already in the midst of celebrating his victory. In only a few minutes the situation reversed again. If she just sat there like a lump, they were going to get killed anyway!

"What can I do? I'm not a fighter, what can I--"

Luffy's iron cage flew over her head and slammed into Buggy with a sickening crash, sending him flying back through his makeshift throne and even the far concrete wall that surrounded the roof.

"Shut the _fuck_ up, you classless circus rejects."

The men slowly turned and gaped at Hanley, looking torn between anger and horror. She looked furious, to the point of being wild eyed.

Nami gasped in shock. 'How did she lift it, much less _throw_ it??'

"Who the fuck do you nitwits think you are?? How _dare_ you do that to him?? I've never been so angry in my life!! I won't be satisfied until I've broken you all under my heel, you bastards!! Fuck you, don't overlook me, you pathetic men!!" Hanley was practically shrieking at them. "And what idiot starts cackling in the middle of a fight?? If you're going to be so goddamn stupid you deserve having your throats slit, every last one of you!!!"

"Are you insane??" Nami screamed, scrambling back so that she was behind the crazy woman. Hanley scowled at her.

"I don't know you, so butt out. If you're that scared, feel free to leave!"

'Dammit, pirates are definitely hard to understand! That's something I hate about them! I can't count on them, I better hurry and think of a way to escape!'

Zoro coughed. "Has she always been like this?"

"Like what?" Luffy scratched his head.

"Nevermind."

"Oh, we've known each other for ages. Hanley gets weird like that sometimes, don't worry about it. 'Sides, that big nosed bastard deserved it, attacking you from behind!"

"You bitch, we'll kill you first!" Nami couldn't see who shouted it, but they all shared the same sentiment as they brought their weapons to bear.

"Ha, like I'd be so weak as to get killed by such pathetic men! Go back to your mothers, you're a century too early to deal with me!"

'What does she think she's doing??'

"Hey Hanley," Luffy interrupted, "we gotta see to Zoro, so why not use that?"

"Huh, use that?..." Hanley blinked and looked at the cannon. She broke into a wide smile. "This is why we work as nakama, Hanuman!" Hanley dashed to the cannon and snatched up the box of matches off the ground. She gave the barrel of the cannon a sharp kick, somehow sending the heavy, cast iron mass up and over 180 degrees so that it faced their would-be attackers.

'What the hell—is that kid's entire crew made up of monsters??'

The men panicked once they figured out what she was going to do.

"AH!! It still has a Buggy Special Cannonball in it!!"

Hanley lit the match and put it to the fuse.

"Every last one of you, please die and go to Hell."

There was very little of the fuse left from when Nami last stopped it. The cannon went off with a deafening boom, obliterating that side of the roof and filling the area with smoke.

"I...wonder if I might have gone a little overboard." Hanley muttered.

Zoro shook his head and managed to stand shakily on his feet. His hand was pressed tightly against his wound. He was talking to her, but she had a difficult time hearing him until her ears adjusted. She finally managed to make out, "This is a good time to go. Who are you, anyways?"

Nami straightened when all of their attention was now on her. Her mind was already racing as she analyzed them; after all, the only reason her life was saved was because it was related to their crew mate's. She wasn't going to trust them to be very altruistic, considering they made it clear earlier that they didn't give a damn about Buggy and his men raiding the village. But they were her best bet to getting off this island alive.

'These people are clearly dangerous, if their previous displays of strength are any indication. But, the kid won't do anything, he's not even upset that I was the one that got him into that mess in the first place. Roronoa Zoro is really strong, and he says he's quit being a pirate hunter. He doesn't have a very good reputation, regardless of his former occupation. Still, he probably won't cause any issues...but the woman clearly isn't right in the head when it comes to these two. And those scales...is she related to Arlong in some way? I don't know, I've never seen a female merperson before! I don't know enough about them...'

"I...I'm a thief," Nami finally answered, unable to think of anything else.

"And our navigator!" Luffy piped up. "See, Hanley, I told you I'd get one for you! And she's a girl, too!"

Nami choked and immediately whirled. "Is that what you meant earlier, about me being a gift?? I'm not an object, you know--"

"Hanuman, do you really mean it??" Nami took a step back when Hanley practically sparkled at her.

Luffy crossed his arms and nodded seriously. "A promise is a promise."

"Yes! What's your name? Oh, sorry about snapping at you before, I lost my head a little bit. It's the stress from looking after these two. But now with another girl things should get better!"

'A migraine...I'm getting a migraine.' Once more, she felt a keen sense of desperation and looked around for help. Her eyes landed on Zoro and he just shook his head.

"I just go along with it." So much for assistance from that quarter.

'Pirates...I don't understand them at all...'

Hanley looked relieved. "Thank goodness, now we won't wander around the sea like headless chickens. Zoro, get on my back--"

"No, I can walk."

"Just get on my back, don't be stupid."

"You're not going to carry me again, you crazy woman!"

"Why do you keep saying I'm crazy??"

"And delusional on top of it. Don't butt in by saying anything, I'll do this my own way!"

"Fine! And when you bleed out and go into shock, I'm just going to tell you that I told you so—dammit, where are you going??"

"Can we leave now?" Nami snapped. She was already running to leap onto an adjacent roof. They might be fine just standing there and waiting for Buggy's men to come back, but she certainly wasn't!

"Shishishi, we're having so many adventures already, Hanley!" Luffy laughed as he followed her.

"Oh, yes, it's so _wonderful_, Hanuman. Are you sure you don't need assistance, Mr. Zoro?"

"No, and stop saying 'Mister' like that, that's also disturbing."

"I'm not that creepy."

'Definitely a migraine.'

*

Zoro finally collapsed in the middle of the road. They were far away from the pub at this point, but Nami was still very much uncomfortable with being out in the open. Unfortunately, she was obviously the only that thought so, as the other people with her weren't that concerned with hiding. Hanley, for all her talk, was hovering over Zoro while Luffy examined his surroundings.

"Since everything is abandoned, let's just steal some stuff to patch you up, Zoro." Hanley lifted Zoro's shirt to examine the wound. Nami shook her head. Just like a pirate...well, Zoro did need First Aid, and fast, judging from the amount of blood he was losing.

"Oh, my poor Mr. Zoro. I just got him for Hanuman and now he's defective."

"I can still hear you, Hanley."

"And grumpy. You must not be that bad off, then."

"Dammit, I'm not grumpy."

"Hey, it's a dog!" Luffy dashed up to a store a few meters away. Indeed, there sat a small, white dog, sitting quietly in front of the building as if it were standing guard.

"Hanuman, don't mess with it! It could be diseased!" Hanley called, looking a little worried.

'Well, these pirates aren't completely carefree, at least.'

"So, Nami," Hanley said, "you have a ship, right? Please say you have a ship."

"I have a dinghy," answered Nami, raising an eyebrow when Hanley's face crumpled.

"God, I was hoping you had one. We don't have a bed and they both snore, you know."

Nami's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Wait, what?"

Zoro lifted his head and glared.

"That should also be my line, Hanley."

"I don't snore!"

"You talk in your sleep."

"It's certainly the only way I'm going to get any intelligent conversation!"

"You!--"

'I don't want to know! They're deviants, true deviants!'

"Hanley, look at this dog! He's not moving at all. I wonder if he's dead—ARRGH!"

Hanley whirled around, already scolding before she was fully facing in his direction.

"I told you not to mess with it, Hanuman! You better not get rabies!"

Luffy managed to pry the animal off of his face and began fighting with it.

"You stupid dog, what the hell do you think you're doing??"

"Idiot, don't you understand the situation, here??" Zoro sat up and joined in yelling at the supposed captain of their crew. Nami put her face in her hands. At this rate Buggy was going to find them from the amount of noise they were making!

"Zoro collapsed again!"

"I don't have enough blood."

Nami rubbed her eyes and tried to instill some kind of order into the situation. She needed their fighting power at least. Just bear with it a little longer.

"That's enough, you three! Buggy's crew is still not defeated!" Her statement was enough to quiet them down somewhat.

"Yeah, you're right—Hanuman, stop messing with the dog!"

"He started it!"

Nami groaned and was about to try again when a man cried out from behind them.

"Oi! You people! Don't do anything to Shushu!"

"Shu-who?" Hanley asked, gaping at the stranger. Judging from the look on her face, she clearly wasn't sure what to make of the sight before her, and Nami couldn't help but agree with her. The newcomer looked...odd. It was mainly due to his snow white hair, which was in some odd short of shape that she had never seen on a human before. The man was getting on in years, short in stature with bronze armor hanging off his frame.

"Shushu. You leave him alone, y'hear?"

Zoro sat up a little straighter and asked, "Who're you, mister?"

"Boodle. I'm the village's leader, or, in other words, the chief."

Hanley bit her lip and looked off to the side; it didn't take long for her shoulders to start shaking suspiciously.

"Oh my god, his name is Boodle and his hair looks like a _poodle's_..." she snickered quietly. Nami quickly stepped forward before the man heard her.

"Can you help us, sir? This man is injured and..."

"Yeah, I see that," Boodle sighed, "ran into Buggy, did you?"

"How'd you know?" Luffy asked as he helped Zoro get onto his feet.

"It's a nasty wound. Come on, hurry up, it's amazing he still has blood to lose."

In end, Zoro refused to go to the shelter despite the fact the doctor was there to fix him up. No amount of nagging from Hanley could get him to budge, and Nami admitted that if this is what she dealt with on a constant basis it was no _wonder _Hanley wanted someone of the same sex around. Zoro went to sleep immediately, and Nami was forced to shoo Hanley back outside before she picked him up and went to the shelter anyway.

'I'm not sure why I even care, though.'

Nami nearly jumped a meter high when Hanley hand suddenly landed on her shoulder.

"Ah, sorry about that," Hanley said, looking at her in concern. Nami took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She still wasn't sure what to make of her, yet. Other than the scales, Hanley looked completely normal. Usually you could make an educated guess on what _kind_ fish they were, but still, there was no doubt in her mind that Hanley wasn't human.

"D-Don't worry about it." Nami had to crane her neck back to look her in the face. Now that they were this close the difference in height was all the more glaring.

'If she's with Arlong, she won't do anything. Is this his way of keeping tabs on me? Or maybe I'm too paranoid.' Arlong never made her write frequent reports of her comings and goings, but if she was on a particularly long trip, she was required to send back some word—just for insurance, he would claim. It was possible he used her most recent missive to figure out where she was and sent out someone who wouldn't _immediately_ call attention...

Nami shook her head. "Anyway, Hanley, what is it?"

"Hn? Oh! I was wondering if you wanted to help me out with getting some food. We haven't eaten in a while."

"What? I'm not going to help you steal food!"

"I thought you said you were a thief."

"I steal from _pirates_, not innocent people."

Hanley blinked before her lips twitched upward. Nami wanted to know what the hell Hanley and Luffy found so amusing about her.

"Well, I hope our navigator doesn't get the idea to steal from us."

"I'm not your navigator!!"

"Oh well, I'll just have to keep an eye on you. Hanuman's a little bad at that. He's so gullible about the strangest things. You wouldn't be thinking about tricking us, would you?"

Nami grew tense.

Hanley held up her hands. "Ah, I'm not saying all this to look badass or threaten you or anything, and since you're Hanuman's gift to me," she paused to laugh a little at that, "I'm not about to refuse. _But_, at the same time, I have to look after him and, by association, his crew. If one of his crew mates gets the idea of causing trouble then I'll have to put them down."

'Is this genuine? I've yet to see a fishman that cares anything at all about a human. But...it's too sincere.'

"I understand. Is that all, Hanley?"

"Yup. Welcome aboard, Nami. It'll be nice having a girl around." Hanley smiled and walked down the street, presumably to look for food by herself. Nami sighed and headed back to where Boodle and Luffy were standing.

**********

Krut Hanley

"I'm getting the sinking suspicion that Nami doesn't like me," Hanley announced to the empty store. Hanley also wasn't that comfortable with breaking into someone's house, but she was too hungry to wait; on top of that, after getting kicked out of Shell Town despite everything they had done, she wasn't about to leave it up to chance at this point.

Get food whenever you can. Lesson learned again, she won't be forgetting this time.

So, she made a compromise with herself and started liberating the Grocer's of some of their food. Hanley snatched up a burlap sack and started picking out food that wouldn't go bad that quickly.

"Is it my scales? It's been a while since I've gotten such a look." Hanley briefly held out her arm, examining the row of dark blue scales that ran all the way up and into her shirt. Nami wasn't staring outright, but she had an interesting look on her face whenever she glanced over.

'We'll work it out. It's best to be patient about this.' Hanley paused when she heard a loud roar and crash in the distance before shrugging and going back to testing the ripeness of an apple. Whatever it was, Luffy will handle it.

And not only that, it was a little worrisome that Nami readily admitted she only stole from pirates. Hanley didn't like being so cynical, but that simple phrase sent up a large amount of red flags in her mind. It'd be bad if Nami decided to make off with their stuff at the worst possible time. And it'd be even worse if Hanley was forced to beat her up as a result.

Another crash, another roar. Dammit, things would happen while she was out running errands.

'Ah, I should trust Nami more, I guess. It works the other way around, too. Still, we'll definitely become nakama.' Hanley nodded decisively and picked up a bar of chocolate from the front register as she left. Chocolate was a luxury in her household and she couldn't resist.

Hanley bit into the bar and exited the store.

"This is pretty good—oh shit." A dark, thick cloud of smoke was rising in the distance, around the area where she had left the others. "That's not good at all!" Hanley stuffed the bar into her mouth. She hefted the sack onto her shoulder and raced back to the pet food store.

The Grocer's was only two streets over, so Hanley reached the area in no time. By that time, the fire had burned completely out, leaving only one of the buildings in a crumbled ruin. The dog was sitting in front of the smoldering mess as Nami and the Mayor looked on. Hanley stepped out of the alleyway, catching sight of her husband making his way up the street.

'I...think I missed something.'

"Hi, Hanley!" he greeted cheerfully. One hand was stuffed deep into his pocket, while the other held a chewed up cardboard box that had seen better days.

"Yo. It looks like someone had a good time around here."

"Typical," Nami interrupted darkly. Hanley's eyebrows raised at the tone of her voice. She sounded as if she was moments away from blowing her top.

"You wanna say something, Nami?"

Nami didn't answer her directly, choosing to address Luffy instead.

"Welcome back, Mr. Pirate. I see that you're still alive. I thought you would have finally been finished off by that lion."

Boodle jumped. "What are you saying??"

"Lion? What lion?" asked Hanley, looking around. "They're taking that circus motif a bit too far, aren't they?"

"And I see you've gotten your share of these people's food!" Nami continued, voice steadily rising in pitch and volume. Hanley was openly staring at her now, not sure why Nami was yelling at them over...whatever it was she was yelling about. Was it about that store? Hanley held up a hand.

"I told you I was hungry, Nami."

Luffy heard the magic word and was practically all over her the next second.

"Alright, Hanley got food!"

Apparently, their attitudes were enough to send Nami over the top, to the point where Boodle had to physically restrain her from charging at them.

'What the fuck? What the hell did I miss??'

"Before you get your pirate pals over to raid this village, why don't you just go to hell?? Can't you stop??"

"One," Hanley began, "there's not exactly anything here worth raiding. I gave up finding a suitable ship here the second I landed."

"How dare!!--"

"Two, I'm not sure what's more surprising: the fact that you're yelling at us over something we didn't do, or that you actually think you can hurt us."

"I'm glad we got such a funny navigator, Hanley!" Luffy stuck his tongue out at Nami.

"W-What did you say?? You wanna fight??" Nami cried, lunging forward. "Stupid pirates!!"

"I still have no idea what you're going on about, you know," Hanley pointed out.

"I'll be right back, Hanley," Luffy said as he walked forward, ignoring Nami's cries. When he reached Shushu, he put the box down before him. It was enough to get Nami to calm down, and even the mayor looked surprised.

At that point, Hanley simply gave up trying to figure out what was going on. It was probably something heart wrenching and important to the plot.

'When it's all said and done, this place is still a manga, isn't it? Dramatization and all.'

Luffy plopped down onto the street and crossed his legs. He smiled widely and nodded toward the crooked box.

"That's the only one I could bring back! The rest was eaten up, if you can believe me!"

Obviously, the dog couldn't reply, but as he didn't move Luffy continued.

"It was admirable, you fought well! Er, not that I saw it, but I basically know what happened!" A moment passed before the dog picked up the box and began to leave the area. He paused to give Luffy a respectful nod and barked.

Luffy replied, "Yeah, you're strong, too!"

'He can't possibly understand that dog.'

Shushu picked up the box of pet food and turned down the side alley. Hanley approached Luffy and lightly nudged his head with her knee.

"Why is it that the second I turn my head you get yourself into a situation?"

Luffy shrugged and leaned back against her leg. "I dunno!" They fell silent when they saw Nami approaching them. She looked vaguely sheepish as she held up her hand.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you both," she apologized.

Luffy hopped to his feet and brushed the dirt off his shorts.

"It's okay. You lost someone important to you because of pirates. You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

Hanley cocked her head to the side. "You lost someone to pirates, Nami? Is that why you steal from them?"

"Mostly," Nami hedged, but was cut off when Boodle let out an angry roar.

Well, it was probably supposed to be a roar, at any rate.

"I can't stand it anymore!!" Boodle raised his arms and yelled to the sky.

Hanley coughed. "Oh my god, Hanuman, the old man's lost it."

"D'you think we should put him to bed?" Luffy frowned thoughtfully.

"What do you mean, sir?" Nami asked, far more polite than either of them at the moment. Boodle bent his head and shook it, as if to clear it. His entire body was so tense Hanley was surprised his muscles didn't just snap apart like a string pulled too taunt.

"It's just so miserable! Shushu and you young people are fighting like this, but...why is it that I, being the village chief, can only watch helplessly??"

Hanley stepped forward, worried he was about to run off and do something very, very stupid.

"Wait a minute, Boodle-san, calm down. I don't want to sound mean, but you don't stand a chance against Buggy."

"Why?? Because I'm too old? I'm too weak and feeble??"

"...Honestly? Yes. He'll snap you like a twig and, frankly, I don't want to see that."

"Please, Chief, you have to calm down!" Nami added, placing her hands on his shoulders. Boodle snorted and shrugged the both of them off.

"To a real man, there are some fights that cannot be avoided! Isn't that right, kid??"

Luffy gave his signature grin, and Hanley knew it was a lost cause.

Hanley looked at Nami, looking throughly exasperated. "Do you see why I wanted a girl on the crew?"

"I'm starting to understand," came the dry reply.

"That's right, mister!" Luffy cried, pumping his fist.

"Don't encourage him!!" Hanley and Nami screamed. If Boodle ran off on his own and got himself killed it'd be on their heads, dammit! Then again, it was just like Luffy to be so careless about such things.

"No, he's right," Boodle began, crossing his arms and sighing heavily. He was looking off into the distance, as if seeing something there that no one else could. "Forty years ago, this land was just a barren wasteland. From there, we built everything from scratch as a fresh start. Our old village was razed to the ground by pirates, and we had no where else to go." Boodle paused and smiled sadly as he reminisced. The three of them were quiet as he poured out his heart.

Boodle continued, "At first, it was tiny and only had a few houses. But, the population slowly grew and the houses slowly grew. Then we added stores and tried our best to make a new homeland. And now look! Now it's a successful harbor village! This place was _built_ by the old people, it's the village we made! This village and its villagers are my treasure! What kind of chief doesn't protect his own village?? I'm going to fight!!"

Hanley pursed her lips looked to the side. Damn, that was actually moving...but, still, as nice and heroic as his intentions were, he would only be throwing his life away.

"Look, Boodle-san--"

A familiar earth-shattering boom filled the air seconds before the row of houses before them exploded in a shower of debris. Hanley dropped the sack and quickly yanked Nami back before a flying piece of timber took her head off.

Boodle turned to where the cannon shot originated. "Damn, even my house!!!"

"Zoro was sleeping in there!!" Luffy screamed. Once Luffy's words sank in Hanley promptly had a heart attack. She raced forward to what remained of the Chief's house and began digging in the debris.

"Zoro?? Zoro, hey!! Are you still alive??"

"Yeah," he answered from somewhere to her right. He was sitting on the ground, amongst what was left of the bed they left him on. He was rubbing his head, still half asleep and obviously very irritated. Somehow, someway, he didn't have a scratch on him. It was so mind boggling Hanley thought she was imagining him at first. She cleared her throat and tried speaking.

"Bad wake up call, huh?" she croaked.

"Yeah, it sucked." He grumbled, scratching at the bandages on his chest.

"And...just how was it that you survived?" Nami squeaked.

"What was that anyway? A cannon—ack!!"

Hanley wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug. "You're such a sturdy guy! I'm so glad!"

"You're about to kill me, woman! Stop that, I'm clearly alive!" He growled when Hanley roughly rubbed his skull with the knuckles on her hand.

"I guess you're not defective after all!"

"You're disturbing! There's a name for women like you!"

"Ha, and what would that be? Lighten up, a kid like you shouldn't be so serious all the time."

"You're only a year older, don't call me kid!"

Boodle's cry of anguish interrupted their squabble.

"It feels as though my chest is being scraped out!" He slapped his armored torso for emphasis.

"Oh, it's probably a heart attack--" Luffy started before Nami slapped his head.

"Idiot, don't say things like that!"

"I don't care how weak or old you think I am! Do you honestly think I'll allow pirates to trample all over us again?? That Buggy bastard, he has absolutely no right to trample over forty years! I am the chief!" Boodle raised his arms to the sky, as if invoking some kind of deity. His face was turning increasingly red from his fervor. "I won't leave and let this village be treated this way!"

"...Um." Hanley commented. Boodle took the spear from his back and started running down the street towards the pub.

"I'm going to fight!"

Nami managed to grab him and hold him back. "Chief, wait! It's too reckless--"

"I know!" Boodle sobbed. "I know it's reckless! I know you're right! I know I'll probably be killed!" He pulled himself out of Nami's grasp and continued down the street.

"You just wait, Buggy the Clown!"

"The chief was crying..." Nami whispered. Luffy adjusted his hat and shrugged.

"Oh really? I didn't see anything."

Hanley huffed in amusement. For some reason, the entire situation made her think of her grandfather. She wondered if this was why he insisted she join Luffy's crew. She probably wouldn't have had this much excitement traveling by herself as a law abiding citizen.

'I suppose this is how life is outside of Eagle's Peak and Fuschia Village...is this why, Master Thai? Still, things are now coming to a head.'

"For some reason, this is starting to feel more fun," Zoro said, practically grinning. Hanley nodded in agreement while Luffy laughed.

"I agree!"

"How can you still laugh??" Nami demanded, glaring at all of them. Hanley looked at her in slight confusion, not sure what the problem was this time. Sure, it was a little morbid, but it wasn't that hard to understand.

Luffy waved his hand and turned in the direction where Boodle took off.

"Don't worry, I like that old man! I'm not going to let him die!"

Hanley sighed. "Aw man, looks like we're going to do the Marines' job _again_. Eh, I still have to kick their asses for what they did."

Zoro gave her a look. "You really know how to hold a grudge."

"Hey now! You were the one that was stabbed!" Zoro grunted and got to his feet. He placed a hand on his wound.

"It's no good staying angry like that. It's a learning experience. I know better now, that's all."

"...I'm still going to break them into little pieces."

"I don't even know why I bother."

"I don't understand you people!" Nami threw up her hands in exasperation. "How can you still laugh in this kind of situation? Where the hell does your confidence come from?"

"That sounds familiar..." Hanley muttered, stroking her chin thoughtfully.

"Our destination is the Grand Line," answered Luffy. He held out his hand to her, "We're going to steal that map again. Come on! You need it too, don't you?"

Nami looked down at the proffered hand. Instead of shaking it, she lightly slapped their palms together in a high-five.

"I'm not going to become a pirate. Instead, let's just say we're cooperating, helping each other achieve our goals."

"That's an interesting choice of words, Nami." Hanley picked up her sack and gave her a pointed look. Nami pressed her lips together and glared back, leaving Luffy and Zoro to stare blankly at the sudden tension in the air.

"I don't get girls."

"They're weird."

Nami and Hanley were quick to turn on them. "Shut up, you two!"

Zoro picked up his swords and fit them securely into his haramaki. The bandages wrapped around his torso provided enough support to keep him somewhat fluid in movement, but to Hanley it was all too obvious that he was favoring his injured side.

'Now I'm going to worry myself to distraction. How inconsiderate of him.'

Zoro just continued on as if he was never stabbed in the first place, despite the fact he should have bled out and died before they even managed to bandage him up.

"Whatever it is, let's just go before we're too late to save the geezer."

Nami scowled at him. "You're going too? What about your stomach injury??"

"It's all healed."

Hanley had to admit that as much as she liked the guy, that had to be one the stupidest things she had ever heard. She scoffed and turned to their new navigator.

"Is he serious? Tell me this man isn't serious."

"I wish I could. Doesn't he realize the trouble he'll cause if he aggravates the wound?" Nami shook her head, rolling her eyes at the blatant recklessness.

"And what if he actually gets in the way? But he doesn't care about that, does he?"

Luffy beamed. "Oh, now they're getting along!"

"To gang up on me. That figures." Zoro grumbled. He untied the black bandanna around his bicep and tied it securely to his head.

"The injury to my body is nothing compared to the injury my name took when all I did was get hurt. Should we go, Captain?"

"Yeah, let's go!" Luffy emphasized his order by cracking his knuckles. Nami groaned softly and put her hand to her head.

"I'm dumbfounded."

Hanley nodded. "Oh, it gets better."

"You're not that different yourself, you know."

Hanley's jaw dropped in horror.

Luffy called back to her when he saw that she was frozen on the spot.

"Hanley, you're falling behind again! Don't be so slow—but don't lose the food, either!"

"Hush up, Hanuman! N-Nami, what do you mean by that? I'm not like that, really!"

Nami blinked. "Oh, I must have misunderstood the situation."

"Yes, thank you--"

"It's denial, isn't it?" she asked Zoro who nodded. Hanley sniffed and lightly kicked the ground with the toe of her boot. She picked up her pace to catch up to them.

'What does she know anyway?...'

When they arrived back at the pub, it was nearly too late for Boodle. Luffy moved forward quickly and wrenched Buggy's hand off the poor man's neck. Boodle fell to his knees, gasping for breath around the blood in his mouth.

Hanley scowled at the sight before pointing to Buggy.

"Hey! I see you're still alive! Congratulations on surviving!"

Buggy snarled. It wasn't a very good look for him, considering the large nose.

"You crazy bitch! I see you come without a single trace of fear! You morons, you're all dead!"

"Listen, I don't care whether you fight or not, you guys do as you wish. I'm just here for the map and the treasure," Nami reminded them.

"We know, we know." Zoro roughly jerked his head aside, cracking his neck.

"All of you," Boodle interrupted, "what did you come back here for? You four just stay out of this! This is my war!! I must protect this village, don't interfere!"

Hanley winced. "Guys, what should we do about him? Tie him or--"

Luffy punched Boodle in the face, sending him flying back into a building. He slumped to the ground and remained motionless.

"--or punch him in the face. Why not do that? Nothing morally shady about attacking senior citizens at all." Hanley slapped Luffy on the head. "Be more gentle!"

Luffy rubbed his head and grumbled. "But you always hit hard..."

"Then stop asking for it!"

"Deviants." Nami muttered. Then she went back tot he matter at hand. "Idiot! What the hell was that for?? Why did you do that to the chief??"

"He'll just get in the way otherwise. Better to have him unconscious. It's more harsh but safer." Zoro explained patiently.

"Don't do anything unnecessary!"

Luffy nodded. "Okay!" He took a deep breath and began shouted, "Hey, you huge, red, ugly Big Nose!!"

'Oh Hanuman, you just had to go there.'

"Fire the Buggy Special Cannonball! FIRE!!" Buggy roared, so furious that Hanley could even make out the veins popping out on his forehead. The crew fired yet another shot, this time heading right for them. Nami screamed and began running to the side. Zoro started to move but quickly turned back.

"Oi, you two, dodge it!"

Hanley sighed and gave her husband a look. "Hanuman, did you plan this? Should I be impressed or horrified?"

"Hehe, both! Hey, Big Nose! Do you think a cannonball will make me move a single inch? Gomu Gomu no Ballon!"

Hanley jumped to the side to give him the room he needed. Luffy took a deep breath and inflated his body to monstrous proportions. The cannonball struck his torso a moment later, sinking into his gut and eventually coming to a stop.

"What is that kid??" screamed Buggy as Luffy sent the cannoball flying right back where it came from. This time, the entire building fell victim to the explosion. It was so bad Hanley wondered if _anyone_ managed to get out of that alive.

"You could have mentioned something sooner," Zoro said, irritated.

"Hanley was the one that suggested it." Luffy deflated back to his normal size.

Hanley coughed. "Um, you do know that I was joking, right?"

"You were??"

"My god..." Hanley rubbed her face with her free hand.

"Oh well, it worked out great! Their numbers decreased, shall we start??"

"_GOD_..."

"What the hell are you??" Nami shouted from her position on the ground. She had slumped to the pavement when she realized there was no way to dodge the cannonball and had yet to stand.

"Still, Hanuman, I wanted to exact my revenge properly!" Hanley reminded him.

"Oh, sorry, Hanley! I'll try to remember next time."

"I doubt you will."

Nami interrupted them and marched up to Luffy, nearly hysterical. "Enough, you two! Luffy, explain yourself! I don't understand this at all! From the moment you fought with the lion and came back alive! That isn't humanly possible! How the hell did you just swell up like a balloon??"

"Oh, that's right, you still don't know!" Hanley said.

"Know what??"

Luffy just looked amused by Nami's behavior. "Gomu Gomu no Balloon--"

"I didn't ask for the name, you monster!"

"Hahaha! You're chatting around, making a lotta noise, like you're not scared..." Buggy's voice came from the smoke. As visibility increased, Hanley could see that he was still standing amongst the rubble and his fallen crew mates, shielding himself with two of his men. Beside him was another member of Buggy's fleet, a slender man with dark greenish hair that covered half of his face and a checkered scarf around his neck. Instead of a human, he had done the same as his captain and shielded himself with a lion. It was probably the same one Luffy had defeated earlier.

"They used their crew members as shields!" Nami exclaimed.

Hanley frowned in confusion. "Wait, that makes no sense. The momentum from the cannonball should have still gone right through! They're flesh and bone, not metal. Not to mention that simply holding a person in front of you shouldn't keep you from being scorched and concussed from the resulting explosion—and weren't they on the roof? If they didn't get hurt from the debris or the fall, why would they still hold their crew members like that...are they posing? Are they trying to look cool or something? Because this is--"

"Hanley, what are you even talking about?" Zoro stopped her rant short.

"You know what? I don't know. I can run up walls and crush boulders with my bare hands, should I even care anymore?"

Buggy growled and released his hold on his meat shields. They fell to the ground in a heap.

"You bitch, stop running your mouth! I haven't forgotten about what you did!"

"Then come get me—I'm in a bad enough mood as it is!"

Buggy roared and held out his arm. "Cannon!" His hand shot from his arm and headed toward her with incredible speed. Hanley immediately shifted her weight to the balls of her feet to dodge, but Luffy's hand suddenly reached out and snatched the hand in midair.

"Oi, bastard, your fight is with me."

"How admirable that you're protecting your woman," Buggy hissed, straining as he tried to pull his hand from Luffy's iron-like grip, "but you should let her take responsibility, punk!"

"Hanley did that because of me, so I'm taking responsibility."

Hanley laughed in delight. Sometimes, he could be a really cool kid. Of course, those moments would happen more frequently if he wasn't so ridiculous the majority of the time.

"Oh Hanuman, you cut such a heroic figure! I'm getting the vapors from simply watching!"

Luffy snickered and let the hand go, watching it as it flew back to its owner.

"I know you can beat him up, but let me make up for earlier, okay?"

Buggy's remaining crewman turned to his captain.

"This is the biggest humiliation we've ever received under our flag, Captain!"

Buggy reattached his limb and fumed. "I'm so mad, words fail me..."

Suddenly, a broken wooden beam shifted behind the two and another man crawled from the wreckage. Hanley took one look at his hair and decided she wouldn't even touch that one. He rubbed his head and looked around.

"Dammit, I was unconscious! What is this mess?"

"Oh, Mohji, so you're still alive..." commented the man with the lion. Mohji, apparently, took one look at the scene and his face twisted in anger.

"Cabaji! What have you done to Richie??"

Cabaji gave him a disdainful look and tossed the lion to the side.

"Ah, this kitten? I was afraid my clothes might get a little dirty, so I just used him as a shield."

"Which is still fucking impossible..." Hanley muttered, stopping when Nami shushed her.

Mohji ran forward and gently shook his partner.

"Richie, are you okay??" Richie slowly came to, but he quickly jumped behind a slab of concrete, shivering from terror.

Hanley shook her head in dismay. "That is one of the weirdest fucking things I've seen."

"No kidding." Zoro agreed. Mohji finally noticed them standing there, and he screamed in surprise.

"Ah, the kid in the straw hat! Captain Buggy, be careful of that kid! He's also one who gained powers from the Devil's Fruit! He's a Rubber-Man!"

Nami gasped. "Rubber man??" Luffy nodded and stretched his cheeks to demonstrate. Hanley was just glad she finally got to the point where she could look at it and not think about how gross it was.

"Devil's Fruit! So that's why he could bounce back the Buggy Special..." Buggy said thoughtfully. "But, Mohji, if you knew that already..._why didn't you say so??_" Buggy used one of his detached hands to grab Mohji by the front of his shirt. He sent the hapless man flying right towards their group.

Mohji screamed. "Get out of the way!"

"So that was the guy who attacked you, Hanuman?" Hanley asked, setting the sack aside and moving forward.

"Yup, him and his lion. They were easy, though."

"Be that as it may..." Hanley held up her right palm, catching Mohji's head and stopping him cold. She grimaced when she felt the cartilage in his nose shift under her palm, breaking from the force. She was going to have to get used to it. His body continued forward, swinging as she firmly gripped his entire head. "You know I don't like it when people pick on you. I worry. Zoro, too! I feel responsible, you know." She tossed Mohji to the side and through the brick wall of a building.

"You're showing more concern for me than my mother." Zoro unsheathed his swords in preparation for the next battle. Hanley stared at him, eyes wide.

"Oh Zoro, your mother? Was she bad?" Zoro's expression went blank before his eyes grew wide and his mouth twisted in horror. His face became borderline comical as he realized he quite possibly made it _worse_.

He coughed and turned. "Try to control your complex, Hanley."

Luffy laughed. "I know Hanley, sorry. Well, the fight's begun!" The moment he said that, Cabaji hopped on a unicycle and sped towards the group, sword held tightly in his right hand.

"Buggy's pirate fleet's Commander, Cabaji the Acrobat! I'll avenge the pain you've caused to my crew!"

'Wow, it really is a circus.' Then she started in alarm when he put on a sudden burst of speed, crossing the distance far more quickly than she thought he would. Luffy noticed the same thing, and began to dive to the side when Zoro got in between them and blocked Cabaji's sword with his own.

"If it's swords, I'm all for it." Zoro seemed to hold Cabaji at bay easily, but Hanley knew he must be hurting. Cabaji smirked and nodded his head.

"It's an honor, Roronoa Zoro. As a swordsman I get to slay you."

In a startling move, Luffy tried to intervene, stating that Zoro needed the rest. It seemed his supposed carelessness only stretched as far as his nakama's well-being. It didn't completely surprise Hanley as he'd always been like that, but sometimes she just forgot he was capable of it. Unfortunately, Cabaji didn't give them a lot of time to make any real decisions, as he suddenly breathed fire in Zoro's face, sending him reeling backward. The diversion allowed Cabaji to race forward and send the point of his boot into the exact spot Buggy stabbed earlier. Zoro's pained scream echoed throughout the town square. He fell to the ground, nearly writhing in agony and clutching his side. His blood was quickly staining the bandages and haramaki red.

"Zoro!" Luffy took a step forward when Zoro held up his arm.

"Dammit, stay back, he's mine!"

Luffy growled and paused, while Nami gesticulated angrily.

"You dirty bastard! Aiming to the wounded area!"

Cabaji ignored her, already moving to his next technique. He stabbed the tip of his sword into the pavement and spun his sword, sending up a cloud of dust.

"Acrobat technique! Murder Mist Trick!"

Zoro grunted and sat up, sweat pouring down his face.

"Some trick, it's just a cloud of--" Zoro contradicted his own statement as he quickly brought up two of his swords to block Cabaji's sudden attack. The blow jarred his wound even more.

'How does he even have any blood left?? Dammit, Zoro!' Hanley hesitated and glanced at Luffy.

"He said he'll take care of it, Hanley." Luffy didn't even have to look at her to know what she was thinking. Hanley sighed in frustration. They must have known each other too long and well if he was able to do that.

Cabaji chuckled and once again kicked Zoro in his injured side. Zoro was sent rolling along the street until he came to an agonizing stop.

"That bastard did it again!" Nami cried angrily. Hanly hissed.

"Unfortunately, that's how it goes in a fight. If you're alive in the end, then the methods are hard to dispute."

"How can you say that??"

"My master is one such person. He's the sort of man that will attack from the sky with no warning and go straight for your spine." Hanley tugged Luffy's hair. "Hanuman, is this what you want? We can gang up on him easily."

Cabaji, meanwhile, shouldered his blade and laughed.

"What's wrong? A grown man rolling around and crying out loud is absolutely pathetic to watch."

"...I'm this close to snapping that freak in half." Luffy didn't answer, and Hanley sighed. "Ah, it's like that...well, alright." Maybe Zoro wasn't in as much trouble as she thought?

Nami wasn't ready to concede the point that lightly, however.

"Fighting with that injury was already too much from the start! Why are you watching all silent and stony-faced?? That's guy's gonna die!"

Luffy still didn't answer, although Zoro did it for him by quickly leaping forward and knocking Cabaji clear off his unicycle and onto the ground.

"You annoying bastard, do you find tearing up my wound that much fun??"

Hanley cheered. "Alright Mr. Zoro, you're as sturdy as ever!" Zoro grinned and turned his sword.

Then he cut himself across his wound.

Hanley's jaw nearly dislocated itself when it dropped from shock. The self-mutilation brought Luffy right out of his apparent apathy.

Cabaji wasn't in better shape. "He cut himself!"

Zoro took a deep breath and placed his final katana in his mouth. He held out his sword toward Cabaji, taunting him.

"My goal is to become the world's greatest swordsman. Is my condition satisfying enough for you? Lemme teach you the difference in level between us."

"So cool, Zoro!" Luffy threw up his hands in excitement.

Hanley wasn't in nearly as good a mood.

"Idiot! What the fuck do you think you're doing?? Now look at your wound! I have half a mind to finish you off _myself_!"

Zoro jumped in surprise. "You're missing the point--"

"And what was it? Self mutilation?? You don't have the leeway to look cool when you're bleeding all over the place! Hurry up and kill him off so I can scold you properly!"

"Are you serious??"

Cabaji grit his teeth and raised his blade, pride clearly stung.

"Zoro, you impudent fool!"

"Ha, you only have the right to say that to me after I'm dead!" He was now losing blood faster than ever.

"Should I make him see a therapist?..." Hanley muttered, tapping her chin. Then again, where was she going to find one? And Zoro wouldn't go anyway, short of tying him up and dragging him.

Nami looked squeamish. "Just looking at him makes me feel like he's going to collapse any second."

"Looking at him makes me feel like he's going to die at any second."

Luffy wasn't paying either of them very much attention; he was too busy cheering as if he were on the sidelines of a football game.

'This is ridiculous. Between the three of us we could have taken them _both_ down by now. Am I the only one who thinks that?' Hanley looked around. 'Probably.'

"To anyone who calls himself a swordsman," Zoro continued, undeterred, "I won't allow myself to lose to him."

Cabaji gave an unattractive snort. "You got a strong determination there. But don't worry, fighting me with such a serious injury, you can use that as an excuse when I defeat you." Zoro surprised him by laughing and adopting an odd stance, holding his arms straight out with the swords in both hands facing downward.

"Nonsense! With this sort of injury, if I lose against the likes of you, my future carries an obvious fate."

"You asshole..."

Nami made her move then, grabbing Luffy's attention by tapping his shoulder.

"Hey, behind the destroyed pub there's a warehouse. Their treasure is there. The Grand Line map is probably still with Buggy. Since the pirates are still unconscious, I'll use the moment to slip over there. After I acquire the warehouse's treasure, I'll make my escape. After all, whether you win the fight or not has nothing to do with me." Nami began making her way toward the side alley. She paused and pointed at them. "But if you actually manage to fulfill your part and get the map, let's 'cooperate' again when that happens!"

"Actually, I have a better idea," Hanley suddenly said, the beginnings of a plan forming in her mind. "We're not quite done here, yet. I'll go with you."

"What??" Nami shrieked, jumping. Hanley smiled and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I need you to do something for me. Thanks a lot, Nami, I really appreciate it!"

"B-But--"  
"Come on, come on."

"Have fun, you two! We'll meet again in a bit!" Luffy called as Hanley dragged Nami off. Nami stumbled along for a bit before finally managing to shrug her off.

"Why are you butting in? Afraid I'll run off?"

"Haha, not really. You're pretty slow and easy to follow."

"HEY!"

They reached the warehouse in good time and Hanley stopped outside, crossing her arms. The fight was still going on and in clear view in the background, which was good.

"Actually, you've been here longer and I need you to lead me to their ship."

Nami frowned slightly and tilted her head to the side.

"Their ship? You said you were looking to steal one."

"Oh, nothing like that. In any other circumstance, I would be taking it, but once Hanuman and Zoro clean up back there, I would prefer if we gave the pirates a way to leave. I don't have much faith in the Marines coming in time to subdue them if they get any ideas. Those men are way too dangerous for the villagers to handle, and they'll be even more dangerous if they were cornered." Nami stared at her in surprise and began to think about what she said.

'Is it so surprising that a pirate can be nice? The world isn't so easy that _all _pirates are evil people, Nami. I think you know that, though, deep down.'

Hanley continued. "I need to get to it. I know they have one here somewhere, right?"

After a few seconds, Nami finally nodded.

"Yes, you're right. It's very close, actually. There's a separate port on the west shore that's used by larger vessels and it's currently docked there. However, _you_ have to help me carry the treasure. I can only get so much by myself."

"It's a done deal, Nami." They shook hands.

"By the way...you can tell Arlong that he doesn't have to send someone after me. I'm not about to forget our arrangement."

Hanley slowly blinked and raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

Nami rolled her eyes as if Hanley were being deliberately obtuse.

"Arlong! You're with him, right? He sent you to check up on me."

"...Nami, who?"

Nami looked surprised and poked her arm.

"You mean you aren't with him? Even though you're a fish, er, woman?"

Hanley floundered for a moment, having never come across a situation like this. Though, should she be so surprised that mermaids actually do exist in this place?

"... ...Nami, I'm not a fish."

"What??" Hanley bristled a bit at her blatant disbelief. "But you have--"

"Oh, the scales? Well, yeah, but I'm no fish. I can't breathe underwater, for starters. Ugh, just the thought of being all slimy and having gills makes my skin crawl!" Hanley shuddered before throwing open the door to the warehouse.

"I...see. I was wrong." Nami breathed a sigh of relief.

"But Nami, who's Arlong?"

"No one."

"I'm not that fucking stupid, Nami. The way you spoke about him, that would make him some kind of employer, hm? So I'll ask you again, who's--"

"You bastard!!" Luffy's enraged scream filled the air. Hanley forgot all about her interrogation and turned back to the fight. "How dare you mess up this hat?? This is my treasure!! I will never forgive anyone who messes up this hat!!"

"I...thought that guy never got agitated at anything...!" Nami whispered.

"He normally doesn't, but Shanks' hat..." Hanley's hands clenched into fists. "I won't interfere. Nami, we have to hurry. The fight won't last much longer if Hanuman's acting like that."

Nami nodded and quickly entered the warehouse. From what Hanley could tell, it was a former holding place for the goods merchants brought in from other islands; however, that stuff was either pushed to the side or carelessly destroyed when Buggy and his crew converted it into a temporary holding area for their spoils. Hanley's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets at the sight of the gold and jewels. She could feel her mouth begin to water. If she could get some of this and exchange it, that would go a long way commissioning a ship to their tastes! And clothes! If she was able to go shopping on the budget that lay before her--

"It looks nice, doesn't it? Hurry up and start bagging it!" Nami was way ahead of, sack open and stuffing the better items into it with practiced ease.

"Yes, ma'am," Hanley answered, grabbing some loot as well. She was going to have her hands full when they got off the island! She'd find a way to make it fit in their dinghy.

Nami was already finished and waiting impatiently by the time Hanley filled her bag to her satisfaction. Her sack was slung over her shoulder and bulging with ill-begotten jewels and precious metals. Hanley had to admit Nami was stronger than she looked if she was able to haul that around; clearly, Nami was an old hand at this sort of thing. She tugged open a side door, revealing the west-side port in the distance.

'...What the fuck is that thing??'

Buggy's ship was one of the largest vessels she had seen in East Blue, including the merchant class and Marine class ships that would enter Green Harbor. It looked to be a sloop-of-war, modified to carry an even larger amount of cannons and their supplies. She could see that the gun deck was heavily armed, and the top deck was practically bursting with artillery. The man certainly liked his cannons, that was obvious. However, that wasn't really the issue. What _did_ bother her was the aesthetic design; Hanley couldn't decide if it was simply ridiculous or disturbingly psychotic.

The main feature was the giant circus-like tent hanging from the main mast. It took up the majority of the top-deck, and the ship was further painted in bright colors, predominantly red and white, to give off the look of a large, floating circus. Even the figurehead wasn't spared, which was crafted to resemble an elephant's head with an erect trunk.

If Hanley had wanted to steal their ship before, she would have abandoned the notion then and there.

"Give me a moment, Nami, my eyeballs have just been violated and I need to recover."

Nami scoffed and headed toward the lowered gangplank.

"I know it's ugly, but whatever it is you came to do, hurry up!"

Hanley shook her head and nodded.

"Right." She cracked her knuckles and approached the vessel.

"What are you going to do anyway?"

"I'm just going to have a little fun. You're looking at Green Harbor's top salvor and ship dismantler." Hanley grinned and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, that's what I like to think, as least..."

"So you're going to dismantle this huge thing by yourself? I thought you said you were going to give them a way out."

"And I am. I'm not about to tear it apart. It's a little bigger than I thought it would be, but it shouldn't be so hard. I'm going put some stress on the keel."

"The keel?" Nami yelped when Hanley began dragging her up the gangplank.

"If the ship were a human body, the keel would be the spine. It is the single most important part of the ship. A ship with a damaged keel isn't going to move very far, just like if your spine became damaged."

Nami smiled and stroked her chin.

"So we're talking sabotage."

"Keep a lookout while I go below deck, alright? I'll make these bastards sorry to have ever crossed my path." Locking up Luffy, stabbing Zoro—did they think she was joking when she said she wouldn't be satisfied until she made them suffer?

"You really care for them, don't you?" asked Nami. Hanley nodded.

"They're my nakama, of course I do." The fact of the matter was that Hanley never had a lot of friends. Back in Japan, that was solely her fault, and the situation didn't really improve when she started living on Eagle's Peak even though that was more due to her location and crazy schedule than any malice on her part. So, any nakama she gained now she vowed to protect. She didn't want to lose anyone else—Hanley just wished there was a way to have the best of both worlds. Impossible, but that didn't make her wish for it any less. What was she to do, if she found a way home?

Hanley found the entrance to the lower decks easily enough.

"Okay, give a scream if someone comes back. I'll come back up and help you out, okay?"

"Oh? So I'm going to get the same treatment?"

"Yup. We can be nakama, too, you know."

Nami smiled, but it was half-hearted.

"I...yeah..."

"Right, I'll be back soon." Hanley jumped down the steep stair way, using her hands and boots to slide down the railing. The ship was indeed pretty big, as there was another deck below. She slid down once more and landed neatly. Hanley had found the crew's quarters. The unlucky bastards were pretty cramped down here. Hanley moved aft towards the stern, looking for a place she could enter to reach the keel. After a moment, she found it, at the back in a storage area. Hanley formed a spear hand with her right hand and struck the wood, easily breaking through. She yanked out a few boards, keeping an ear out for trouble above. She hoped she _could_ hear Nami if something happened.

Hanley grabbed a nearby candle and took out the box of matches she kept when she lit the Buggy Cannon earlier. After lighting the wick, she checked around the storage hold. Luckily for her this was where the tool and other building supplies were kept; she could have done it with her bare hands, but this would make the job go faster. She tucked a hammer and axe under her arm and grabbed the handle to a bucket of adhesive with her teeth. She squeezed through the small opening and landed onto the dirty wood below. Hanley wrinkled her nose but quickly went to work. With her physical prowess, she was able to use the hammer and axe to their full capacity. She worked her way up the keel quickly; it looks like her experience would come in handy after all. While she couldn't build a ship worth a damn, she knew the best spots to take them apart quickly. The adhesive served as a temporary stop gap against leaks.

Hanley wiped her forehead and sighed as she examined her work. She had noticeably altered the thick beam of lumber. She used the axe to cut long, diagonal gashes in the wood, weakening it so that the ship's own girth would ultimately be its demise. Hanley didn't want to go overboard—after all, it wouldn't do if went under too quickly. She could only hope the ship finally gave out when they were in the middle of nowhere.

Hanley couldn't help but cackle in delight.

'Wow, that was sort of fun, actually.'

*

"Nami?" Hanley called as she hoisted herself into the sunlight. She looked around in surprise when she realized the top deck was very much empty. Hanley sighed and jumped over the side of the ship. She plucked up her sack and began heading back to the demolished pub. From here, she could easily see the amount of damage Buggy and his crew caused. Half of the village was easily gone, reduced to rubble from Buggy's cannons. Hanley sighed and looked down at her bag of loot. She made a face and quickly headed back to the warehouse for an extra sack.

'Dammit. I'd feel bad it I didn't leave them _something_ to pay for this mess...' Hanley didn't know how much the treasure went for. She never bothered to pay attention to Marxby as he appraised her findings back in Green Harbor, as she couldn't afford to be picky _anyway_. Instead, Hanley split it in half as best she could (she wasn't that fucking gone to leave them everything, she wanted some too, dammit). She dropped the bag in plain sight in the warehouse and exited out the side.

'Now, where on earth did she go? Didn't I tell her to keep a look out?' Hanley made her way around the warehouse and stopped short. Luffy was holding his hat and looking incredibly upset while Nami was expertly knotting up—were those body parts??

"Hey guys, what's going on?" she asked as she approached.

"Oh, there you are, Hanley! I kicked that guy's ass."

Hanley glanced once more at the pile of human limbs and parts and nodded. It certainly looked that way. She set down her loot and ran her fingers through his hair.

"Hey, you okay? I heard about Shanks' hat..."

Luffy's face fell briefly and held it up for her inspection. Hanley winced as she looked at the damage. She carefully took it from him and examined it. After a moment or two, she nodded decisively and lightly put it on his head.

"...I can fix it."

Luffy perked up and gently ran his fingers over the rim. "You can?? Really??"

"It looks bad, but the cuts are clean and very linear. It won't be hard. Not harder than what I had to do for your clothes, at any rate." Both Luffy and his brother were hard on the clothes they wore, and to make it even worse Ace was notoriously cheap and Luffy spent his money on the _wrong things_. Threadbare and torn clothing really rubbed her the wrong way. Ace would laugh at her about it, but...

'And now I'm thinking about him again. I swear, it's the weirdest things that make me all nostalgic...'

"Oh, you're okay, Hanley," Nami greeted as she walked up. When she saw Hanley's scowl the girl held up a hand in an attempt to pacify her.

"Ah, sorry I left you. But you could handle yourself, right--"

"Don't be ridiculous! That's why I wanted you to stay close by! If I just wanted you to be a lookout, I could have made you stay on land." Nami's jaw dropped slightly as she tried to think of something to say, but in the end she shook her head and shrugged.

"You guys are certainly the weirdest bunch of pirates I've met."

"Oh? Are we?" Meanwhile, Luffy had gone to check on Zoro who was just waking up from his nap on the pavement. Luffy knelt by his side as he managed to slowly, achingly, move into a sitting position. Nearly the entire left side of his torso was stained red; even his haramaki wasn't spared. Not that you could tell from his attitude that he was horribly wounded, of course.

"Ah...I don't think I can walk yet." He swayed slightly from dizziness and held a hand to his head.

Nami snapped, "Obviously! If you guys can still walk, then you aren't human."

"Why did you include me?" Luffy complained.

"Because you're the worst!"

"Oh...that's okay, then!"

"Isn't he cute?" Hanley asked Nami, snickering when Luffy quickly became unamused. Nami threw up her hands in exasperation. Hanley grinned and caught Luffy's attention.

"Good news, Hanuman, the food's okay."

"Yosh! And we got the Grand Line map and a navigator! This is great!...Oh, who're those guys?" Luffy pointed to the crowd of people walking up the main way, carrying a variety of homemade weapons.

"They must be the villagers. I guess they got tired of hiding and came out to fight. Guess I really underestimated them...maybe I should have sunk that eyesore of a ship."

"Huh, what ship?" Hanley didn't answer; instead, she fell silent as the villagers approached, waiting to see what would happen next.

Finally, they came close enough for one of the men to step forward. He was an average looking guy brandishing a thick, wooden stave.

"We're the people of this village," he began, confirming her earlier assessment, "did the pirates stir up a fight amongst themselves? If you know anything, please tell us."

Nami looked relieved and smiled brightly.

"Well, I think some of the pirate crew are still here. If you want us to tell you, then there isn't anything left--" She was interrupted when one of the men cried out in horror.

"The Chief!"

'Oh shit. I have a bad feeling.' Hanley slowly picked up the food and the treasure. Nami grew visibly tense beside her, clearly thinking the same thing. The villagers began crowding around the chief's unmoving form, trying to revive the poor man.

"Hanuman," Hanley began, "do me a favor and keep your mouth shut."

Luffy pouted slightly. "Huh? Why?"

"Just shut it up. For once, please don't say anything unfortunate."

"Like what?...Oh! D'you mean how I was the one that knocked the chief out?" Once again Hanley had to seriously consider getting her husband some medication. Surely there was something that could be done; no one his age could really be that oblivious. Nami wasn't nearly so forgiving or concerned, as she used her free hand to grab Luffy's vest and shake him.

"You just said it, idiot!" she shrieked as the villagers quickly turned against them. Some of the men were already pointing their spears and makeshift swords at them.

"How dare you do this to the chief; it doesn't matter what sort of excuse you give us! Who the hell are you?? Could you be pirates??"

"What should we do, Hanley? If we confirm it, it would look very bad," Nami whispered urgently. More than that, even if they did come up with something good, the fact remained they knew that Luffy assaulted the chief. They were probably screwed either way, but Hanley still had to try to salvage the situation.

Hanley nodded. "I know, let me think for a second--"

"We're pirates!" Luffy answered proudly, dashing all of her hopes.

She sighed, feeling a little drained. "--or we could just run. You got a tight grip on your treasure, right?"

Zoro burst out laughing even though the villagers started charging at them the next moment. Luffy snatched him up and took off down a side road. Nami was close behind, with Hanley hanging back to take up the rear.

'I called it. I knew this was going to happen, and I should have known better than to expect anything but trouble when Hanuman's around. Why haven't I given up after a decade? Maybe I'm masochistic? Oh god, I'm a masochist, aren't I?'

"Luffy, why the hell did you make the situation more complicated??" Nami panted as they ran. Unfortunately, the villagers blocked the direction they needed to go. They were going to have to do something about that soon. Luffy had to readjust his hold on Zoro's arm before he could answer properly.

"This is a good village!"

Hanley raised an eyebrow, easily sidestepping a stone one of the villagers threw at her head. Damn, they had projectiles, too??

"I don't follow, Hanuman, please explain."

"Well, for their chief, for just one person, they're all getting that mad!"

Hanley glanced behind her to see them waving a variety of hand axes. Angry was an understatement. And, shit, for a bunch of untrained villagers, they were certainly able to keep up pretty well! What the hell did they do, here?

"No matter what excuse they give, they'll still be mad at us!" Luffy continued. Hanley could practically hear the smile in his voice, as if the notion alone made him extremely happy. And, to be honest, it probably did. Luffy was the sort of person that could find happiness in the simplest of things. The sight of a village standing up for themselves and their leader was one such thing. It made him happy to see people becoming strong and protecting what they believed in, even if it meant attacking him.

"I see, you goof! Well, there are worse ways to live! Hey, turn down that alley up ahead! We have to double back!"

"This one?" he called back, taking a sharp right. Nami was also nimble on her feet, turning at nearly the exact same time. Hanley followed a moment later, and had to jump quickly before she ran over a small white dog.

"Hey, was that Shushu?" she yelped in surprise. Shushu bared his fangs and began barking furiously at the villagers, blocking their path. "I don't believe it!"

As they went around the corner to head back down to the south harbor, Hanley decided not to think too deeply about it. In the end, Shushu was giving them enough time to escape. The rest of their run to the main harbor was undisturbed by villagers, and it was only a couple of minutes later that they came upon their respective sailing craft. Hanley sighed in relief and headed toward their dinghy.

"Ah, I was getting worried. We just barely escaped!" Nami did look a little peaked from running throughout town lugging a heavy bag of gold and jewels. Luffy ignored that in favor of staring at her boat. It was the one Hanley noticed earlier, and it was clearly bigger than their own. Maybe Nami wouldn't mind if she rode with her? That would be so much better than before!

"It's so cool! I envy you!" Luffy cried, looking it over.

Hanley moved quickly. "I call dibs! I'm riding with Nami!"

"H-Hey!" Nami protested.

"Too late."

"Ah ha!" Cap Man shouted as he jumped up from Nami's boat, followed by Weird Hair and Unibrow.

Nami coughed. "Ah, you guys are..."

"We knew you'd come back here if—Mistress Hanley!" Unibrow cried. Hanley cringed and held up a hand.

"I told you already, stop that. What the fuck did you guys think you were doing?"

Cap Man rubbed his hands together. "Oh, and Master Zoro is also back! We were just keeping the boats safe until you came back."

"Sure. Whatever, just move aside, weaklings."

"Ma'am!"

Nami stared at her as they stowed their cargo and began making preparations to leave.

"What was that all about?"  
"I'm not telling you."

"Hanley, why did he call you mistress?" Luffy looked irritated. Hanley rolled her eyes and plucked his hat off his head. "It's not like that, silly. Be careful how you arrange Zoro. I'll have to bandage him up _again_."

Zoro grunted. "Trying to tell me something?"

Hanley pointedly ruffled his hair, ignoring his protests.  
"Only that you're an asshole for injuring yourself during a fight, and if I catch you doing it again I'll fucking kick your ass and leave you out for the buzzards."

"Huh, she didn't have to try too hard, did she?" Luffy asked brightly. Zoro waved his hand, not bothering to take her seriously.

"Oh, but before that, can you please toss my bag over? I have my materials in there and I need to fix this hat before it gets worse."

"I'm telling you: complex." Zoro easily held up her bag with one hand, regardless.

"I see you're riding with me whether I like it or not." Nami said, sounding resigned as she unfurled the main sail. "In any case, we should go."

"The two of you will be okay over there, right?" Hanley called.

"Yeah, yeah." Zoro yawned and settled down for a power nap.

"Stop right there, you morons!"

Hanley growled in irritation. "Oh what now?"

"Mister Chief!" Luffy shouted in surprise. They looked back in surprise to see Chief Boodle standing on the dock, gasping for breath. He must have come to during their wild run through the town's streets. Finally, he held up his hands and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry! I owe you!!"

The four of them smiled at that and Luffy waved his arms happily.

"Don't worry about it! Just live happy lives!"

Nami faced eastward and sighed happily as she collapsed on deck.

"This is so great. Look at all the money I got..." Her voice took on a sing-song quality as she hugged her sack close.

"Mmhmm, congratulations." Hanley carefully began to repair Luffy's hat.

"Where's the gold you got?"

"Right there." Hanley distractedly pointed to her bags behind her.

"What? That can't be it!! It was twice as large last time!"

"Oh, that? I left some behind for the villagers. I felt bad."

Luffy nodded, pleased with her actions. "Good idea, Hanley!"

"What?? That must have been five million berri!!"

"Really? That should just about cover it, then. But, um, what are you doing?" Hanley blinked as Nami's hands fell on her shoulders and she started to push. Or attempt to; Hanley shifted her weight so she wouldn't budge an inch. Nami's boots were sliding against the deck before she gave up.

"I was trying to push you overboard!"

"Um, I might not be a fish, but I can swim just as well as one."

"Figures."

"Don't mind, Nami! New adventures await!" Luffy held up his hands in excitement. "I can barely wait! This will be so much fun! We have to hurry!"

Zoro chuckled. "The Grand Line isn't going anywhere, but I understand completely."

"Hanley, are you done with my hat, yet?"

"No. You can't rush this."

"Okay!"

"Soon, Hanuman. We'll meet that man again. And we'll make him proud."

Luffy's expression became determined at her words. He nodded emphatically before looking over at her bags.

"Hanley, I'm hungry. Is there bacon?"

"Um, I got jerky."

"That's okay!"

"Just don't grab anymore birds, okay? My heart is weak."  
"Wow, really??"

Nami sighed. "No, she's just exaggerating."

Zoro was already fast asleep.

**********

OMAKE: Krut Hanley

'How, oh how, did it come to this?' Hanley thought as she stared at the exceedingly weird and disturbing sight before her feet. 'Truly, there are some strange things in this world.'

It was a snake—well, it was an odd snake, rabbit hybrid—and it was currently winding and swirling in the dirt before her. Its rabbit ears twitched in a multitude of directions while its tail flicked towards her in a way that made her feel distinctly uncomfortable. Once in a while it would pause to look up at her, as if to check if she were still watching, before going back to its wild dance. It had been like that for several minutes, and she was getting more creeped out by the second. Her so-called husband was no help at all, finding it more interesting to mess with the other creepy animals on the island.

But, at least, he wasn't being intentionally unsympathetic. Nami and Zoro, however, were merciless. Nami was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, and Zoro was smirking in a way that Hanley really didn't appreciate.

Zoro took a bite out of a mango as he watched. "I think it likes you."

"Shut up, Zoro."

"I guess your charms were too much for it."

"Death awaits you."

"Soon we'll be beating the male snakes off with sticks."

"That is beyond disgusting."

"Tell that to your admirer."

Hanley shuddered near violently, trying to ignore Nami's helpless peals of laughter at her expense.

'Fuck! Will I _ever_ meet a normal guy?? This is insane! Why is it I'm only attracting the weirdos or the _nonhumans_?? This thing is delusional if it thinks I'll—this is nasty!' Hanley finally couldn't take it anymore and lashed out, kicking it hard and up past the treeline. The hapless snake was soon flying into the distance and out of sight. Gaimon wailed in horror.

"N-Noooo! He was so young!"

"Wow, Hanley can be really mean." Luffy commented. Zoro nodded.

"Love is cruel."

**********

To be continued.


	12. Nightmare A

...There was a curse on this chapter. I do not know why there was one or how it got on there, but you guys just don't know what it took to get this done. I want to thank Spellcaster Hikaru for the support...the exorcist was also very helpful.

In any case! This bad boy got to be around sixty pages in length. So, after waffling for a bit I decided to post this in two separate parts. I wanted to spare you as well.

If I did not reply to your review, I apologize. I was sick for two weeks due to the flu (not H1N1, thank god for "small mercies"), and after that I wasn't sure who I replied to. If I haven't, I want y'all to know I appreciate it. I also want to thank those who favorited and alerted as well—I see that as a good thing as well! XDD

Special thanks again, to Spellcaster Hikaru :) Here's to hoping you're number 100!

_Hanley_

Chapter Ten: Nightmare on Elm Street

**********

Usopp

Usopp followed the same routine every morning like clockwork, rain or shine. He timed it on the dot, to the point that many of the villagers even set their alarms by him. Sure, once he got through town they started yelling at him and chasing him, but as far as unintended side effects go, it was just another service he liked to provide, really.

Each day would begin with a quick wash and breakfast, followed by a short, brisk jog to the tallest cliff on the island. That was the best place to look out at the sea. Most of the time, it was where Usopp liked to tell himself that this day really would be the day that his father came back—if only for a visit.

Well, that was what he liked to tell himself; however, he wasn't that stupid to take it seriously.

The reality of the situation was very clear: his father was never coming back. To this day, his parents' relationship was something he couldn't really understand. Usopp knew the gist of it—his father was a seafarer even then, famous for his marksmanship, and it said something about his mother that Yasopp stayed in the village long enough to have a kid and even raise said son for a few years. It would have been easy to hate the man; maybe deep down, he did a little. Usopp would have loved to have had his father there, if only so he wouldn't be _alone_ in that house after his mother wasted away before his eyes.

'But he's a brave warrior of the sea...what can be better than that?' Usopp nodded sharply at the thought and crossed his arms as he looked over his domain. Surely his mother understood that, too--that unmistakable pride that came from being your own man and making your own way. And, someday, he'll be out there like his father. He'll live freely, and make such a name for himself that even his friends would be able to hear it their tiny village.

Oh well, for now, what he had was more than enough.

Usopp pulled himself from his musings and took a deep breath.

"It's such a beautiful day," Usopp said, although there was no one around to hear. The sky was incredibly clear and cloudless, and the sun shone brightly in the early hour despite the raging storm that buffeted the village last night. Although the sun was rapidly drying the remaining moisture, the ground was still wet, and his shoes were already muddy from the path he took. "Oh well, still, there's nothing like starting such a happy and refreshing day by looking at the sea!"

He stood still for a few more moments before checking the position of the sun in the sky. Ah, it was just about that time. Usopp grinned and began running down the hill towards the dirt path that would lead through the village.

"The pirates are coming!!"

**********

Krut Hanley

It galled her to admit this, but Hanley had hit a serious roadblock with her training in the Rokushiki. To be fair, she couldn't help the fact that there was a limited amount of space to work with, and she couldn't exactly work on techniques like Soru or Rankyaku on a tiny dinghy in the middle of the ocean. Also, given that she had never been that great with kanji to begin with, forcing her to muddle through an old scroll with archaic readings was really starting to piss Hanley off.

Hanley understood that her grandfather wanted her to work for it; that didn't mean she had to like it. The fuck was that man trying to do? It would figure that he was hell bent on tormenting her from afar.

So, she decided not to worry about it any longer and focus on a sort of training she could do with the space available. Hanley strapped on her arm and leg weights that her grandfather had oh-so-thoughtfully included in her bag and went for a swim.

That had been about two hours ago.

"You've been doing that for a long time, aren't you tired?" Nami took her eyes off her maps and leaned over the side.

"I'm fucking exhausted, thanks for asking," Hanley panted in mid-stroke. Still, it had to be done. Of the trained fighters in their small crew, she was technically the weakest in terms of pure physical strength, and she was definitely the weakest when it came to sheer willpower. Hanley had never been a natural at fighting, and if she wasn't careful that gap could easily double, even triple, before she knew what had happened. Logically speaking, Luffy wouldn't be concerned about that sort of thing. He wasn't the type to care _only_ about strength or anything like that, but still, it did bother Hanley just a bit.

'I don't want to become useless. I want to help you, Hanuman, I want to be able to keep up with you and Zoro. My usual habits won't be enough out here, and without Master Thai to breathe down my neck I just know I'll end up putting it off until something happens to snap me out of it. I can't afford to wait that long, though, since it's life and death out here.'

"Looking at you makes me tired," Nami continued, ignoring her irritated tone, "I'm surprised Zoro hasn't joined you."

"I wouldn't be able to keep up, unfortunately, even if I wasn't wounded." Clearly, Zoro had considered it.

Hanley had had enough exercise for now, so she grabbed the hull and pulled herself onto Nami's dinghy with a pained grunt. She slumped against the side, trying to catch her breath. Her entire body was aching, but that wasn't anything new. Hanley slowly peeled off her weights and tossed them aside.

"Like I'd let you aggravate your _stab wound_ even more." She threw Zoro a pointed look, though she quickly followed it up with a tired smile. Zoro raised an eyebrow and shrugged, knowing better than to take her seriously. Zoro's lack of consideration for his own health still irritated her, but Hanley could somewhat understand his drive. Unlike those two guys, she had never even considered becoming "the strongest" or "the best." One, she highly doubted she would be able to accomplish that sort of goal anyway, and, two, there was no point in going after it in a world she wouldn't be sticking around in anyway, right? Up until recently, she had been perfectly happy with focusing on simply being "strong" and able to defend herself. The power and skill would come along naturally if she just kept at it.

But, now...

Well, for now, she should concentrate on doing what she could for the time being. As it stood, their current boats weren't going to make the cut. Ocean travel was already tough, but traveling to the Grand Line in their current condition was outright suicidal. Earlier, she and Nami had plotted for a while to try to come up with a good way to address the problem, but they couldn't really come to an agreement.

'Well, we could have, if she wasn't against my hopping aboard the first passenger ship we came across and stealing it. It would have solved all of our problems—space, stocked and furnished facilities...I don't know what the problem is, I'd have let them keep the life boats and the dinghies...and I'm sure they have insurance! What law abiding citizen doesn't nowadays?'

Hanley cracked open an eye (when did she even close them?) when she heard Luffy scamper across the boat and settle beside her.

"You're not going to sleep like Zoro, are you?"

"There's no sake here, I can't help that it's boring," Zoro protested. Hanley huffed in amusement and held up her hand.

"Stop calling me lazy, Hanuman. Besides, your wriggling around isn't going to get us to that island faster."

Luffy bounced impatiently and looked at Nami.

"How much longer? We have to get some meat!"

"We should see it any moment now, actually. And ship first," Nami replied, trying unsuccessfully to tune him out as she went over the map once more for good measure.

"And then meat?"

"_Yes_."

"And a ship that can carry lots of meat--"

"Hanley!" Nami finally threw up her hands and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

Hanley blinked and raised her head. "Hm, what?"

"Get him, won't you?"

"Oh, is he bothering you?"

Nami stared at her before shaking her head and putting her things away.

"Amazing, I had no idea there were people like this."

"I have a feeling that statement is vaguely hurtful."

"That's the island, right?" Zoro spoke up then, breaking up the impending argument. He sat up with a grunt and grabbed the oars. "Help me out, Luffy."

"Yeah, sure...wow, there really was an island here!"

Nami rolled her eyes.

"So what did you expect? We followed the map, so it won't be wrong!"

Luffy settled beside Zoro and began rowing, towing Nami's craft as well.

"How come we couldn't find anything with our map, Hanley?"

"I'm not going to answer you." Hanley grumbled and began some light stretches to cool down from her workout. It would be just perfect if she let herself cramp up, wouldn't it?

With the two of them rowing, the group reached the rocky shore in no time. There were no settlements in sight, although the island looked to be heavily forested so it was possible she just couldn't see any. There wasn't much of a beach to speak of, but Hanley could make out a small path that ran up the hill and out of sight. Other than that, there was really nothing special about the place. Simply finding an island that wasn't under siege from pirates or run by corrupt marines perked her right up.

"There's a village, here, right?" Luffy asked. He looked vaguely skeptical as he examined their surroundings.

Nami nodded. "Yes, the map said there was a small one."

"Thank God...I miss sleeping in a bed. I can't believe I've gotten used to Hanuman trying to punch me in the face while I slept." Hanley hopped off the boat. "And I want to get a new pair of sandals. I don't really like fighting in these boots." Her eyes wandered over the tree line before stopping by a large, fallen trunk. If she didn't know any better, she could swear she saw--

"Been a long time since I last stood on firm ground." Zoro said as he raised his arms above his head.

Luffy snickered. "That's because you were sleeping all the time."

"Seriously. He makes it sound like we've been out to sea for months. If his joints are locking up that badly maybe I should carry him to the village--"

"I told you to stop that, Hanley." Zoro sounded resigned to her teasing at this point. "By the way, I just noticed...what are those guys doing there?" Zoro pointed to the log that Hanley glanced at earlier, but now, upon closer inspection, there were four people in the distance spying on them. The three smaller ones with oddly shaped heads screamed and ran off while the last one, a lanky boy around Luffy's age, shouted at them to stop.

The first thing she noticed about him was his nose. It was long; seriously, it was long. Hanley had no idea people's noses even came in that shape. He was tan and dressed very simply, with worn brown overalls and no shirt, and his dark, curly hair was tied under a yellow bandanna.

"I think I've seen him before somewhere, Hanley." Luffy muttered.

"Really?" Hanley peered at his face a second time. "Yeah...he looks familiar--"

The boy suddenly adopted an arrogant pose and proclaimed loudly, "I am the Great Pirate Fleet Leader, Usopp, who is in charge of the security of this village!"

"...Actually, I know we haven't met him before."

"Yeah, you're right." Luffy nodded. The boy, no, Usopp, continued, going so far as to thump his chest with a fist.

"I'm also known as 'Captain,' Captain Usopp!"

'He must be joking. I...don't think I'll believe that obvious lie. Just who does he think we are--'

"Wow, really??" Luffy exclaimed. Nami and Zoro sighed while Hanley rubbed her forehead.

'And I'm still surprised. 'Til this day I'm still surprised by his gullibility.'

Bolstered by Luffy's response, Usopp completely emerged from his hiding place and walked down the path towards him, his arms crossed and his expression grave. Excessively grave, even. He stopped a few meters away and took a deep breath.

"It's best if you don't attack this village. My eighty million men are not going to forgive you."

Hanley scratched her head. "Kid, I doubt there are even five million people in _East Blue_, much less eighty on this tiny ass island."

Usopp choked in horror and clutched his head. "Ah, I've been caught!"

"See, you said it yourself!" cried Nami, looking exasperated as Usopp began panicking over his slip up. Luffy suddenly burst out laughing.

"You're so funny!"

"Hey! Don't underestimate me!" Usopp scowled and jerked a thumb towards himself. "I am a man with high self-esteem! And everyone calls me the 'Honorable Usopp'!"

Hanley could feel her jaw drop. "...Are you serious?"

"Quite serious, madame! I had hoped not to be so—ah, what are you??" Apparently he hadn't noticed her scales until now. Usopp leaped back and pointed a shaky finger at her in abject horror. Hanley growled while Luffy nearly killed himself from laughter behind her. Hanley paused long enough to kick her own, personal annoyance in the shin before glaring at Usopp.

"Kid, I'll kill you."

"Waaah, I'm going to be eaten!"

That really set Hanley off. "Don't be disgusting! As if I would! You're all bone anyway!"

"Argh, save me, save me!"

"Stop screaming before I really lose my temper!"

"I-If you keep shaking me like that my men will seek r-revenge--"

"You don't have any men, remember??"

Luffy was practically bent over double. "Hahaha! The both of you are great!"

"I fear for my future..." Nami sighed.

*

"Oh, you're looking for companions?" Usopp asked. After they managed to pry Hanley off him, Usopp ended up being pretty willing to show them around the village once he learned they weren't there to raze it to the ground.

He calmed down even further when Hanley managed to convince him that, no, she wasn't going to serve him up on a platter with a side of ketchup...no, seriously, she wasn't, so stop that.

Before they could do anything, however, Luffy all but forced them to stop by the local tavern for a hot meal. He was being so vocal about his meat craving, and with Zoro being so eager to try their sake, it was simply easier to follow their requests. The tavern itself was typical small town fare: a simple building that served as a focal point for the village's social activities. It wasn't any bigger than Party's Bar in Fuschia, although the layout was very much different. Instead of having a large, open floor, there was a line of booths on a raised platform along the left side upon entry; the bar itself took up the entire opposite wall. The rest of the space was taken up by small, square tables. Usopp took their orders and went to the bar to speak with the proprietor while the crew chose one of the booths to occupy.

"Hold on, I want to sit facing the door," Hanley said. Her grandfather made absolutely sure she wouldn't be able to relax during a meal unless she did.

"Don't worry about it, I'll face the door." Zoro stopped her before she could slide onto the bench.

"Oh, why can't we share a bench?"

"Because I can't trust that you won't to do something weird. And Luffy steals food."

"Mr. Zoro, that's just unfair. Why in the world would I try to make you uncomfortable?"

"How the hell can I understand your fetishes--"

Hanley lunged forward and began running her fingers along his sides. He jumped aside, yelping.

"Fine," Zoro snapped, his expression surly, "take that side!"

"You're hilarious, Mr. Zoro."

Zoro grunted and slouched in his seat.

"Stop saying my name like that, dirty old woman."

"Oh, _now_ I'm old. Weren't you the one protesting that there was only a year difference between us? If that's the case, why not call me 'Mistress'?"

"No."

"Deviants," muttered Nami as she slid into the booth beside Zoro. Hanley was just settling into the booth beside Luffy when Usopp returned, pulling up a chair from another table to sit at the edge of their booth. The food and drinks came a moment later, and they dug in gratefully. Once his hunger was mostly sated, Usopp continued the conversation from before.

"You're also looking for a big ship, right?" He confirmed. Luffy bit a large chunk off his rack of meat, barely stopping to take a breath when he answered.

"Yup."

"Sounds like a big adventure! Well, there's only one place where you can find the stuff you want in this village...although it's not a very big ship, but it's not that small either."

Nami leaned forward. "Where? We really need to prepare ourselves."

"There's a mansion not far from this village that belongs to a wealthy family. The ship belongs to the mansion's owner."

Hanley frowned thoughtfully as she pushed her eel around on her plate. She shouldn't be picky, but whoever cooked this eel could have added a bit more flavor.  
"Question, Usopp. Do you think the mansion's owner would be willing to barter for it?"  
"We got plenty of money, right?" Zoro asked. Hanley sighed.  
"And I'd rather not use every last bit to buy a ship with nothing left for other things. I'd also rather not let Nami have too big a stake in our vessel."  
Nami grinned. "Oh? How distrustful of you."  
"Oh Nami, you know I appreciate you as a gift from Hanuman, but as someone who boldly states that they steal from pirates, I'd have to be crazy to trust you completely."  
Nami shrugged, never losing her grin despite her accusation. Zoro didn't seem to disagree with Hanley either, although Luffy gave her a pointed look.  
"Oi, that's our navigator, Hanley!"  
"Here, have some meat."  
"Yosh!"

'Too easy.' Hanley turned back to Usopp.  
"Well?"  
Usopp scratched his nose and sighed. "It's hard to say...although we say that she is the owner, she is a pitiful young girl. A weak and sick girl that always lies on the bed..."  
"Eh? Then how come she's the owner of the mansion?" asked Nami.  
"Oi! More meat, Obasan!" Luffy called, interrupting Usopp's reply. "Do you want some, Hanley?"  
"How nice of you to ask! There's hope for you, yet!"  
"Are you two even listening to me??" Usopp's waved his hands in exasperation.  
"Oh, right, sorry. Sickly girl, I'm with you." Hanley turned her full attention to him.  
Usopp cleared his throat and his expression became serious.  
"I think it happened a year ago. That girl's parents died of sickness, leaving her a large inheritance, a mansion, over ten servants..." He leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Even if you are really rich, it doesn't exempt you from sorrow."  
"I see..." Nami whispered, leaning her chin onto her hand. Her shoulders slumped and her eyes grew distant, seeing something in her memory. Hanley remembered what Luffy had said when they first met her, that she lost someone precious to her because of pirates. Hanley was all too familiar with loss herself, so she could certainly sympathize.  
"Aw man, I guess that rules out stealing the ship, then." Hanley waved her chopsticks as if to brush the idea aside. Usopp choked while Nami gave her a look in disapproval.  
"Is there a limit to how low you'll go?"  
Hanley's mouth twisted at her tone. "Yes, which is why I'm not going to. If she's as fucking rich as Usopp says, she probably wouldn't miss it. But, I'm not going to add to her problems. I have some morals, you know."  
Nami examined her face for a moment. She then sighed and her hand came down roughly on the table with a loud slap.  
"Nevermind...let's forget about searching for a ship in this village. We'll go and search somewhere else." Apparently she agreed with Hanley on some level. Luffy didn't have an issue with the decision. Then again, he rarely had issues with anything.  
"Okay! But we're not in a hurry anyways, I still want some more meat! Let's buy some meat for our supply! Bacon, especially!"  
Hanley chuckled under her breath and tugged his hair. "Hanuman, we still don't have a stove. I will make you all the bacon you want once we get one. Until then, any meat we buy will have to come cooked and salted or preserved in some way."  
"Alright, alright, as long as we get some."  
"Oh, yeah, you said you were looking for companions, right?" Usopp leaned forward in interest.  
Luffy nodded. "Is there somebody who wants to be our nakama?"  
Usopp grinned and jerked his thumb toward his chest. For a second, Hanley could swear she saw his teeth let off a slight gleam in the light.  
"Let me be the captain, and I'll join you!"  
Hanley gaped while the others were far more vocal in their rejection.  
"Nevermind!"

"What kind of attitude is that??"

Hanley snickered at him. "Usopp-kun, you can't just make yourself captain of someone else's ship. But I like to think we can be fair about it. I only recognize Hanuman as my captain; if you're willing to fight me to the death perhaps..."

Usopp laughed nervously and held up his hands. "Well, while I normally would be more than happy to take up the challenge, I've been having some back problems lately and..."  
"Oh, well, that's fine. Whenever you want to try to beat me up." She bared her teeth at him for good measure. Usopp shuddered.  
"Y-Yeah..." He cleared his throat. Usopp then spotted the clock on the wall. "Ah, it's that time again! Sorry, I have to go. Don't worry about paying, okay?"

Usopp gathered his things and put the chair back where it belonged. He gave one last wave before he sped out of the tavern.  
"...Hm, what a cute kid, even if he's a borderline pathological liar!" Hanley exclaimed. She handed off the rest of her plate to Luffy so he could finish it off. "But I swear I've seen him somewhere before."  
Luffy grinned. "Shishishi, I know who he is."  
"Wow, really? Who?"  
"It's a secret!"  
Hanley promptly grabbed his cheek and pulled it until it was a good foot from his face. She let it go and it snapped right back into place.  
"Yeah, thanks, Hanuman. Are you done eating?"  
"Nope, lemme get a bit more."

Nami drummed her fingers, looking pensive.  
"So much for this island. Well, there's another one to the west that's not too far. Maybe we'll have better luck there."  
"Hope so. Although at this rate we may be better off following Hanley's plan." Zoro nursed his sake and slouched even further into the booth.  
Hanley smiled. "Why thank you, Mr. Zoro."  
"Stop looking at me like that."  
"Haha, I just can't help it!"  
"Woman..."  
"We're not going to hijack some ship. If it's a pirate ship, well, I'm more amenable to that." Nami ordered more tea, resigned to the fact that they were probably going to be staying at the tavern for a while. Luffy didn't look to be slowing down at all, and Zoro was getting as much alcohol into his system as he could while he had the opportunity.

It wouldn't hurt to stay at the island for the time being; as much as Hanley loved the sea, she also liked solid ground. The majority of the world was made up of oceans, so one tended to appreciate dry land all the more. After her hectic week so far, Hanley was grateful for the breather. Could it have only been four days ago that all of this started? It seemed as if she would never have an uneventful life.

'Well, I guess that's not a _bad_ thing...I'll have plenty of stories for the grandkids when I get old and spend my days in a rocking chair...if I even make it that far.'

The majority of the customers had left by that point, and, for once, the group was actually pretty sedate. Hanley closed her eyes with a sigh, enjoying the serene atmosphere. Surely it wasn't that pathetic to need a vacation so soon into the voyage? Unfortunately, the tranquility didn't last as long, as the door to the tavern suddenly slammed open and three children burst inside. It only took Hanley a moment to recognize them from earlier (who could forget _that_ hair)?  
"Usopp Pirate Group is here!" They roared their battle cry and charged at the group, waving their wooden dirks. Hanley scowled into her black tea and sighed. What nonsense was going on to happen _now_?  
"What?..." Nami muttered. Luffy calmly took a sip from his tea cup.  
"I don't know. Who are they?"  
Hanley coughed. "Well, they said Usopp...I guess they're with him."

The three boys were clearly intimidated, but they lined up beside their table, trying to present a united front. The more she examined them, the more Hanley found her irritation fading.  
"Oh, how adorable..." It was terribly cute, and she half wanted to pet their uniquely shaped heads. Zoro pointedly raised an eyebrow at her but said nothing.  
The kids' expressions quickly turned to ones of horror.  
"Hey...Captain isn't here..." observed the one who shouldn't have even been able to see with the hair covering his eyes.  
The boy with glasses gasped. "It can't be that he's been eaten up!"

'Okay, what's with the children of this village and cannibalism?? What have their parents been telling them??'

"H-Hey pirates!" cried the one who resembled a bell pepper, "give us back our captain!"  
Luffy promptly made the situation more volatile. He slammed his teacup down with a pleased sigh and rubbed his belly.  
"Yum, yum! What a delicious meat!"  
"He ate the captain!" The boys screamed in horror. The other patrons were staring, looking torn between amusement and annoyance. Nami giggled while Zoro gave them a sinister grin.  
"Your captain..." he began, drawing his sentence out for maximum effect. It certainly worked, as the kids were all but hanging off his every word.  
"W-What did you do to him??" It was also impressive that they could yell in unison.  
"We just...ate him."

They screamed again. It was a testament to their lung capacity.

"Mr. Zoro, be nice!" Hanley scolded.  
Their eyes nearly popped out as they stared at Hanley. "D-DEMON HAG!!!"  
"Who the _hell_ are you calling 'hag,' you little punks??"

They fainted.

Nami burst out laughing. "That's the second time that happened today! Maybe they have a point."  
"Shut it up, Nami!" Hanley grumbled and barely resisted the urge to give her the finger.  
"Funny how you object to hag but not demon." Zoro leaned over to make sure the boys were still breathing. They were stunned for the moment, their eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling.  
"Demons can be potentially sexy, Mr. Zoro. Hags are old women with warts and bad teeth." Hanley turned to Luffy. "Aren't I at least a little attractive, Hanuman?"  
Luffy gave her a blank look. "Huh? Oh, sure, I guess. I forget you're a girl most of the time."  
"...Why do I stay with you people?"

Eventually the boys managed to recover from their scare. Nami quickly set them straight before they started screaming again. Which was a very good thing, as Hanley really wasn't liking the way the tavern owner was glaring at them.  
"'It's that time again'?..." Bell Pepper Kid repeated.  
"Yeah, after he said that, he left the shop." Zoro confirmed, dropping his former persona. The boys looked relieved and smiled at each other. Hanley still felt a little insulted.  
Onion Head explained, "Oh, so it was to go to the mansion."  
"Is Usopp a friend of hers?" Hanley asked, "He never really said."  
"Why go there?" Luffy straightened up from his slouch, now showing his interest.  
"To tell lies!" came the prompt reply.  
Hanley coughed. Kids lied from time to time, obviously, but few made a hobby out of it. Maybe Usopp _was_ pathological. "He seems to like doing that."  
"Isn't that a bad thing to do?" Luffy added.  
Bell Pepper Kid merely grinned. "Nah, it's not bad! Actually, it's great!"  
"Yes, it's very good!" agreed Onion Head.

'Seriously, what's wrong with these kids? Did we stumble across a village full of deviants?'

They must not have looked very convinced, as the kid with the bushy hair was quick to explain further.  
"It's all for Kaya-san, the lady of the mansion. Her parents died last year and she's been real sickly ever since."  
"Yeah, we know...it means no ship for us."  
"Hanley!" Nami glared at her. Hanley held up her hands.  
"I was only joking! But, sorry, I guess that was insensitive considering her troubles. But what does Usopp's constant lying have to do with it?"  
"To make her feel better," Bell Pepper replied, looking as if he was seconds away from bursting with pride, "he tells her all sorts of adventures."  
"She's been doing so much better since he started a year ago! You should see her, it's great." Onion nodded so vehemently he nearly sent his glasses off his head.  
"So that's it..." Hanley's opinion of Usopp went up a few notches (her first impression of him obviously wasn't that spectacular, cute or not).  
Nami looked pleased as well. "So to restore her spirits, he's been going for a year to amuse her with made up stories?"  
"I just love these feel good stories."  
"The Captain's really great. I love his nosiness." Bushy Hair said.  
"I like the Captain's cowardice!" added Bell Pepper, while his friend chimed in about the heroic quality of Usopp's lying.  
"What the fuck? Since when were those good things?" Hanley looked questioningly at Zoro, but he could only shrug.  
"Not very impressive in the way of virtues, is it?"

Luffy's selective hearing, however, only focused on the most important part. He turned to Bushy Hair.  
"So, you're saying the lady is better already?"  
"Yeah, and it's all thanks to the Captain!"  
Luffy threw up a fist in the air and cheered. "All right! Then we shall go to the mansion and ask for a ship!"

Hanley slowly pressed her face into her hands while Nami scolded him.  
"Didn't you just say you'd give it up??"  
"We need a ship, don't we? We can't go to the Grand Line without one, right?"  
"Well, yes, but--"  
"And we need to be able to store lots of meat. Besides, I want a stove for my bacon."  
"Nami, just give it up and let's go see if we can get the ship. This guy is hopeless." Hanley rolled her eyes and began to shoo Luffy off the bench so she could slide out of the booth. Nami let out an aggravated sigh before following them, knowing that she would get left behind otherwise. Zoro was simply going with the flow, and Hanley admitted she envied him for it.

The tavern owner was certainly glad to see them go, personally showing them the door. It was still pretty early in the morning, but the village was already up and running. It reminded her quite a bit of Fuschia, actually, with the small, quaint houses and open fields. Hanley felt a twinge of homesickness. She hadn't been gone that long and yet she missed their quiet little island already. Who knows how long she would be out here?

There was only a single road in the immediate vicinity. It started down by the rocky shore where they first landed, threaded all the way through the village, and ran past a large mansion before disappearing into the forest. The boys said they would lead them to Kaya's, but it was rather hard to miss such an impressive house. Hanley wondered just what there was here to get rich off of. She could only assume trade of some kind.

Oh, speaking of the boys.  
"Hey, what are your names, anyway?" Because she couldn't keep referring to them by the shape of their heads, even if it was in her thoughts. She should at least try to see if she could remember them.  
"Oh, sure! I'm Piiman. He's Ninjin and that's Tamanegi." He pointed to Bushy Hair and Onion Head respectively. Hanley gaped at them before looking off to the side; she had the sense to cover her mouth so it wouldn't be that obvious she was laughing. She didn't want them to get the wrong idea.

'Green Pepper, Carrot, and Onion. I don't even know how to react so I'm just going to pretend that I'm not weirded out at all. How is it possible to name someone after their appearance at _birth_? Maybe they're family names. Or, maybe I care too much about this stuff.'

Hanley collected herself. "Right, I'll try to remember."  
"You're not so bad for a demon," Ninjin commented with a hint of graciousness. Hanley's eye twitched.  
"She really is nice, even though she hits hard--ow!" Luffy rubbed his arm and pouted at her.  
"Let's just go to the mansion." Hanley was getting a lot of practice speaking through clenched teeth. "And shut it up, Zoro." She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was smirking.  
"Didn't say a word."

It was a short trip, and the group reached the mansion very quickly. It was even more impressive up close, unsurprisingly. Hanley was reminded of large, western style houses that you might find in America and Europe. The mansion's immediate grounds weren't actually that expansive, as it was surrounded by a high, stone wall topped with an iron fence. The gate itself was tightly closed against entry. It was technically two stories if you didn't count the space created from the roof, but the windows were very tall and hinted at high ceilings and large rooms.

It seemed a little too big for a sickly girl and ten servants.

Luffy marched right up the gate and examined the house.  
"Good afternoon, please lend us a ship..." After a moment of silence, he shrugged and promptly climbed the wrought iron gate. "Let's just go in."  
"Hanuman!" Hanley scolded.  
Nami slapped her forehead. "We can't stop him."  
"Since we can't stop him, we'll have to follow him." Zoro said sensibly. Hanley grumbled and jumped up to grab the top of the gate.  
"That's the story of my life. Hanuman, stop for two seconds so we can catch up!"

Once inside, the boys lead them around the left side of the house where Kaya-Ojousama's room was located. They spotted Usopp in the distance, sitting on the freshly manicured lawn beside a large tree. Opposite of him was a young girl leaning out of the window, with short blonde hair and fair complexion. She was laughing and looked carefree. She wasn't the healthiest looking girl, true, but Hanley could see what the Vegetable Bunch meant when they said Usopp's lies made her feel better.

"Captain!" Tamanegi called, waving his arms to gain their attention. Usopp jumped and his eyes nearly popped from their sockets.  
"Why are you all here??"  
Piiman pointed to Luffy. "We brought this guy here..."  
Luffy placed his hands on his hips and smiled cheerfully.  
"Oh! So you're the Ojousama?"  
Hanley groaned. "You're just going to ask like that, Hanuman?"  
"Why not? She's right there!"  
Kaya stared at them. "Who are they?"

Usopp darted to Luffy's side and threw an arm across his shoulders. Hanley didn't know the guy that well, but she just knew a lie was coming.  
"These guys heard of my reputation and traveled far to see me here. They are new members of the Usopp Pirate Group!"

Yeah. Called it.

"Yeah!" Luffy agreed before he could stop himself, "I mean, no! That's not it! We're here to make a request."  
Hanley smiled at Usopp. "Why hello! Judging from your previous statement, you must have decided to fight me to the death." She snickered when Usopp jumped back and waved his arms, leaving Luffy to address Kaya directly. Kaya seemed a little perplexed at their sudden appearance, but she smiled pleasantly enough as Luffy spoke to her.  
"A request of me?"  
Luffy nodded and spread his arms wide to illustrate his point. "Yeah, we need a big ship--"  
"What are you doing here??" a voice snapped from behind. The man was just as tall as she was, and was lanky in stature. His green-black hair was slicked back and he had a pair of wire framed glasses perched on his nose. He wore a black suit, crisply pressed, and topped the attire off with stripped black and white shoes.  
"Urg, its the butler, Kurahadol..." Usopp grumbled, looking nervous.

'He certainly looks like one.'

"Listen, Kurahadol," Kaya began, looking like a kid with their hand caught in the cookie jar, "these people--"  
Kurahadol raised his hand as he passed, face pinched with irritation.  
"You don't have to explain, I will ask you about it later." He frowned at the group and adjusted his glasses. "Please get out! Or is there something you need to say?"  
"I want a ship!" Luffy smiled winningly at him.  
"No." Kurahadol snapped before dismissing him. Luffy's shoulders slumped in disappointment while Zoro patted his back.  
"Hanley, did you see that?"  
Hanley nodded and ruffled his hair. "I know, Hanuman, it's okay. We can get a ship somewhere else."  
"You...You're Usopp-kun." Kurahadol's eyes finally landed on Usopp, who tried to look away in vain. Hanley wondered if he seriously thought that anyone would mistake that nose.

Kurahadol's expression could only be described as catty as he continued.  
"I've heard rumors about you...the villagers talk about you all the time."  
Usopp put on a brave front, proudly puffing out his chest. "Oh, thank you. You may call me Captain Usopp. Everybody calls me that." Three small children don't count as everybody, Usopp.  
Naturally, Kurahadol was less than impressed. He pushed his glasses upward (again with the heel of his hand, who does that?).  
"The guards said you were lurking outside the gates. What do you want here?" His voice dropped dangerously, causing Usopp to flinch.

"Err...I heard that there's a huge mole inside the mansion! So I wanted to see it for myself..."

'Was that honestly the best he could do?'

"Haha...I see you can certainly lie very well." Kurahadol's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "I have heard about your father, too. You're the son of a filthy pirate. I'm not surprised that you turned out this way, but you had better stay away from my Ojousama."

Hanley looked startled. "His dad was a pirate? Hanuman, didn't you say that--"  
"Did you just say filthy??..." Usopp growled. For all his cowardice, Usopp apparently drew the line with slurs against his father. He looked furious, then, visibly tensing with his hands curling into tight fists.  
Kurahadol was peering down his nose at him, as if Usopp was little more than a bug.  
"You and the Ojousama belong to totally different worlds. Is it money that you're looking for? Name your price."

Kaya's hands slapped the window sill, stung by her servant's statement.  
"That's enough Kurahadol!! Apologize to Usopp-san at once!!" There certainly wasn't any doubt that she was lady of the manor in that instant. Kurahadol didn't appear to be chastised, however, as he continued on with his verbal attacks.  
"There is no need for me to apologize to this uncivilized person! I'm just telling the truth." He held up his hands, palms outward. "I feel sorry for you, Usopp-kun...you hate your father, don't you? Because he's a dumb 'treasure hunter' who abandoned his family and village!"  
Kaya shouted angrily, "Kurahadol!!"  
Kurahadol clearly struck a nerve with his last remark, as Usopp's breath quickened and his eyes started to take on a wild look.  
"I won't let you say another bad thing about my father!!" he screamed, taking a threatening step forward.  
"Why are you so angry? You're not very smart, are you? You should have just told your usual lies and said that your real father is a traveling merchant, or that you and him are not blood related--"

Usopp's fist connected with Kurahadol's jaw with a loud crack. The man went down hard, managing to land so that his head didn't connect with the ground.

Kaya screamed while Kurahadol slowly sat up, lip bleeding profusely.  
"Grg, see?? You're so violent! Like father like son!" the man shouted as he pulled himself together.  
"Shut up!" Usopp screamed, way past the end of this tether, "I'm proud that my dad was a pirate!!! I'm proud that he was a brave warrior of the sea!!! You're right, that I like to lie, but I'm proud of having pirate's blood in me!! I don't have to pretend I'm not!! I am the son of a pirate!!"

Hanley stared at Usopp's face, flushed and perspiring from anger. Why couldn't she shake the feeling that she met him before? It wasn't until she saw Luffy's grin that she finally pieced it together. The nose was incredibly different, but if she could look past that focus on the shape of his face and eyes, and the way he smiled...  
"Oh my--Hanuman, that Usopp can't be his kid!!"  
Luffy adjusted his straw hat, looking pleased with himself. "Shishi, yup."  
"Geez...what a small world...I can't believe I forgot..." With the way Yasopp talked their ears off about his own son, Hanley should have recognized him on sight. "Wait, how'd _you_ figure it out?"  
"I'm not sure--I think it was when you were shaking him."  
"I don't think I'll ever understand the way your mind works."  
"You should try to eat more meat."

'Wait, what? I...don't think I fucking understand that, either.'

Kurahadol gave a sharp bark of laughter, not bothering to hide his disdain.  
"That pirate...the bravest fighter of all? Don't make me laugh!"  
Usopp's anger slowly faded as he caught his breath. Kurahadol saw his confused expression and was more than happy to elaborate.  
"You never thought of anyone else. Whenever you're upset, you just use your strength to hit others. I should expect no less from someone who only wants to be close to Ojousama for her money."

"What did you just say??" Usopp snapped.

"Enough of this! You are the son of a pirate, that is all that needs to be said!" Kurahadol didn't flinch when Usopp grabbed a lapel of his jacket, his right fist pulled back and ready to deliver another blow.

Kaya cried out to him. "Stop it, Usopp-san! Don't hurt him!"

Usopp turned to her in surprise, and not a little amount of hurt. Did he see it as a sign that she wasn't on his side? Kaya pressed a hand to her temple, shaking slightly from exertion. Still, she was desperate to break them apart.

"He's not a bad person," she whispered, choking back a sob, "he's being too hard on you because he worries about me."

Kurahadol slapped Usopp's hand away, his gaze full of contempt despite his split lip. He calmly adjusted his clothes and fixed his glasses.

"Get out of here! This is not a place for a barbarian like you! Remember this: don't you dare come near this house again!!"

Usopp bit his lip and turned away, heading toward the front gate of the mansion. "Yeah, I know...you don't need to tell me to get out. I won't come back to this house ever again!" As he walked off into the distance, Luffy tugged on Hanley's top to get her attention.

"I'm gonna go after him, okay?"

'At least he's telling me where's he's going before simply running off. I've been yelling at him about that for years.'

"Sure, Hanuman, try not to get lost."

"I won't!" Usopp was already out of sight, but Luffy ran after him regardless, jumping over the gate and disappearing as well. An uncomfortable silence fell before Piiman began to scream at Kurahadol for insulting his captain. Ninjin and Tamanegi were quick to add their support, although they didn't become violent in their belligerence. Finally, Hanley and Nami had to grab them and drag them off the property before they were kicked out. The moment the iron gate shut Piiman shook off Hanley's hands and stuck his hands in his pockets, still flushed with anger.

"That damn butler, talking about Captain that way..."

Ninjin picked up a rock from alongside the dirt road and tossed it. "Nothin' wrong with being a pirate..."

"Are you so sure?" Nami raised an eyebrow. "They have such bad reputations for a reason, you know. They hurt, they kill, they follow their own rules to the detriment to others. Kurahadol shouldn't have said those things--Usopp isn't his father. But he's not really wrong to hate pirates."

Hanley gave and grunt and placed her hands on her hips. "Oh? Are we on this again, Nami? There's a big, fucking hole in that line of logic, you know?"

"Hm, really? Well, I guess you weird guys are the exception to the rule."

"Haha, we love you, too, Nami." Hanley smiled winningly and pumped her fist victoriously when Nami's lips twitched despite herself. She was going to wear her down, yet. "Anyway, these kids have the right idea, you know?"

"We do?" Piiman looked at her doubtfully. Hanley hoped for his sake he still wasn't on that "Demon Hag" nonsense.

The group opted not to go right through the village this time, instead taking a small side road that ran alongside some pastures and fields. They didn't have a destination in mind in particular, and they only stopped when Zoro decided he'd had enough walking and collapsed by a nearby wooden fence. Piiman and Ninjin (where the hell did the Onion go?) plopped down onto the soft grass as well, while Nami perched on top of the fence's railing. Hanley leaned against a rotting post and scratched her head as she thought of a way to explain.

"Well, a great pirate once told me a long time ago that piracy is, at its core, about freedom. The freedom to make your own decisions and live the way you want, not burdened by an oppressive society. He said..." Hanley closed her eyes and thought of that night on the _Red Dawn_. "Many mistake that as an excuse to commit mindless violence and willful slaughter. That can't be helped...there will always be evil people in this world. Personally, I believe there is a proper way of doing things. But what's important is having a dream and going after it. He called it a true man's romance."

Piiman crossed his arms and his brow furrowed as he considered what she said. "'A true man's romance,' huh? I like the sound of that! That's what the Usopp Pirate Crew is all about!"

"Yeah!" Ninjin cried.

"That's not half bad. A man's romance?" Zoro pulled his katana from his haramaki and propped them beside him to make himself more comfortable.

"Oh? Do you like it, Mr. Zoro?" Hanley wriggled her eyebrows at him, causing him to snort and pointedly dismiss her by turning his head.

"He sounds like a man that knows what he's talking about, that's all I'm saying."

"Haha, oh, yeah, he's great. I can't wait to see him again. I've decided on that before I go home."

The conversation tapered off into a comfortable silence. Hanley idly took in her surroundings: now more than ever she could see Fuschia in the rolling green and cultivated hills and laid back atmosphere. Hanley missed her grandfather, but she didn't miss his mountain home quite so much. It wasn't surprising, considering how useful it was in her daily torture. In any case, this village would be a nice place to live, but it didn't make too much of her imagination to figure out why Yasopp left in the first place. Like her island, it was safe, quiet, and stable; once you find a niche you could easily stay in it for the rest of your life, and it would be perfectly nice and fulfilling.

And fucking boring. She may not have known the man that well, but like his captain and crewmates, he wasn't suited for that kind of thing. Hanley wondered if Usopp would follow his father's footsteps. He probably would.

Nami suddenly spoke, but her voice was quiet, "Where's Luffy?"

"Oh, yeah, I forget to tell you guys. He went after Usopp earlier. Considering that we knew his dad, I guess Hanuman went to check up on him." Hanley replied.

"Y-You knew his dad?? Really??" Piiman and Ninjin jumped up eagerly. Hanley huffed in amusement.

'Oh, now I'm the bees knees, right, boys?'

"He was a weird guy, but really nice and fun loving."

Zoro changed the subject. "If that's the case, where'd they go?"

"Huh? Oh, if you're looking for the captain, you have to go to that place," said Ninjin, trying to be helpful.

"Yes, at the coast. Whenever he gets stressed, he goes there," Piiman elaborated. "Do you want to go?"

"No." Zoro didn't even have to consider the question.

"Oh, by the way, where is your friend?" Nami had also noticed that Tamanegi had somehow managed to slip off, and she seemed to be somewhat concerned. His friends didn't look that worried, however; in fact, they looked resigned.

Piiman sunk back onto the ground "He always disappears."

"And he comes back over-reacting about something," Ninjin finished.

"He comes back over reacting? What does that even mean?" Hanley asked.

"What it sounds like. We don't know where he gets it from--"

"Danger! Danger!" Tamanegi was racing down the curving path from the direction of the village. He was running as fast as he possibly could, pushing himself to the point he nearly fell over as he came to a stop before the group. Zoro was already on his feet and reaching for his sword when Tamanegi relayed the urgent news.

"We are in trouble now! There is a person who walks backwards!" he screamed. Zoro immediately relaxed and sighed, muttering something under his breath.

"Liar," said Piiman and Ninjin, giving him a flat look.

Hanley knelt so she could could look him in the eye. "That's what this is all about? A person walking backward? How in the world is that dangerous?"

"How--there is a weird guy who is walking backwards coming this way!"

"Okay, that is weird, but stop screaming, will you?"

"It can't be true anyway." Piiman was about to sit once more when Tamanegi grabbed his shoulder and turned him toward the direction he came from. "It's the truth! Look!"

Sure enough, in the distance there was a lone figure approaching their location. As the figure drew closer, Hanley could see that it was indeed a man, tall and lanky, wearing a black jacket and slacks. He also had on a matching black fedora, which mostly obscured his long gray hair. Hanley's brows furrowed and she glanced at Zoro and Nami as if they would hold the answers to the strange sight before her. Nami shrugged slightly and shook her head.

'Is...no, surely that man isn't moonwalking? Like Michael Jackson? I can't believe I still remember Michael Jackson...well, Grandpa really liked him and sang his songs a lot--why is this man walking backwards?'

The man stopped before them, his right leg balanced on the tip of his toes. Hanley then saw his white gloves as he tipped his hat forward, nearly covering a pair of heart shaped glasses. She didn't even know what to make of the growth on his chin.

"Hey, who told you that I'm weird? I'm no weirdo."

'No, you're the Poor Man's Michael Jackson. If he starts dancing, I'm leaving.'

"But you looked really strange," Nami pointed out, not quite sure what to make of him.

The man scoffed. "Don't be stupid, I am just a regular hypnotist."

"How regular are hypnotists?" Hanley couldn't help but ask.

"A hypnotist? That's so cool!" Tamanegi was now looking at him in awe. Piiman and Ninjin were right beside him, also interested.

In fact, Piiman was already ordering him to show off. "Why don't you show us your trick?"

"What? Don't be stupid. Why do I have to listen to someone that I don't know? You shouldn't show your trick the first time you meet someone." He promptly took out a small, metal ring on a cord and dangled it in front of the boys. "Listen! Look at this ring!"

Zoro scratched his head. "Why didn't he just say that in the first place?"

"Apparently because hypnotists like to be fucking rude?" Hanley leaned back onto a post, also curious as to what he could do. A part of her wanted to think the guy was some kind of hack, but considering

where she was, her sense of a proper reality was thoroughly shot anyway.

The ring began to swing slowly back and forth. If she stared at it hard enough, it certainly was mesmerizing; she gave the guy that much. Hanley had to blink and shake her head to get her mind back in focus.

"When I say, 'One, Two, Jango,' you will be sleepy, understand? One, two...Jango." The results were immediate: hypnotist and hypnotees fell back simultaneously, snoring away. Hanley burst out into laughter while Zoro scowled.

"Why the hell are you sleeping, too??" he snapped, although it fell on deaf ears.

"Well, he's certainly a hypnotist." Nami said.

"Yeah...too bad he's not a very good one. Who ever heard of such a thing?" Hanley snickered. Whoever the guy was, he certainly wasn't dangerous.

Hanley nudged him a moment later. Joke or not, she couldn't leave him lying in the dirt. He snapped into consciousness immediately and was on his feet the next second.

"Ah, I fell asleep again." He brushed off his clothing, unperturbed at what was obviously a common occurrence.

Hanley crossed her arms. "Yeah, no kidding. Hey, you kids okay?"

"Yeah, Demon Hag-san." Ninjin answered as he helped Tamanegi to his feet.

"Ugh, can we quit it with the 'Onibaba' crap? I'm only twenty...and not a hag." Maybe she should be grateful they were being somewhat respectful.

"Oh well. I have to get going." Hypnotist fixed his fedora and began to resume his moonwalk down the path.

"H-Hey! We didn't see any neat tricks!" Piiman called after him.

Nami shook her head. "Let him go. You don't need to get involved with weird people like that."

Zoro leaned back against the fence with a sigh. Hanley wondered if he was going to doze off again, but, instead, he began speaking.

"So, what are we going to do now? Luffy's still off somewhere and didn't give us any orders."

"Good point. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm getting pretty bored." Hanley sighed and mirrored his stance. Wasn't this what she wanted? For nothing to go horribly wrong? It was so stupid she had a hard job not laughing.

"We can always go get some supplies," Nami suggested even though she didn't budge an inch. "You'll have to pay for them this time, though, Hanley."  
Hanley ignored the jab. "I know right? Honestly, it'll be irritating until I can find a banker to appraise our loot. I don't have that much berii to support Hanuman's appetite..."

"You two seem close."

"Yeah...we've known each other for ten years. He's a right idiot, but he's my idiot so I guess I'll be here for the long run." Hanley idly ran her fingers over her ring. She wouldn't be satisfied until he realized his dream.

"That must be nice."

"Besides, who am I to get in the way of a man's romance?" Even if those men were thoughtless thrill seekers who couldn't even be bothered to pick up a pen.

ACE.

Hanley and Nami continued making small talk, having nothing else to do while waiting for Luffy to pop up. Hanley liked to think that Nami was becoming more comfortable with them, but who was to say, really? They somehow got on the subject of proper tangerine care when Ninjin's shout interrupted their conversation.

"Hey, that's Captain!"

Hanley straightened and found herself looking down the dirt road a second time. Usopp...looked horribly upset, and he was sprinting at a breakneck speed. Hell, he could probably keep up with her. If nothing else, he made a good runner. Still...

"Where's Hanuman? I thought they were together." Hanley said, now worried. Luffy wasn't easy to take down, but he had a weird knack of getting into trouble. What if--?

Usopp soon reached their spot, but he didn't even slow down, much less stop. Thinking quickly, Hanley reached out and snagged the straps of his overalls. The momentum caused his feet to fly in the air, to the point he was horizontal with the ground, but Hanley yanked him up before he fell.

"Usopp! Where's Hanuman??"

Usopp shook his head and began struggling. "There's no time!! There's big trouble--"

"Where is he??"

"You mean Luffy?? H-He's dead!"

Hanley stared at his face before screaming. "_**WHAT???**_" Hanley's high pitched shriek must have been heard across the entire island. Her heart began to race and her eyes started to burn with unshed tears as she began shaking Usopp, completely ignoring Nami and Zoro as they tried to pry her hands off him.

"How?? Where is he?? He can't be dead!!"

"He fell!" Usopp finally managed to squirm free. "H-He fell off a cliff onto his head! I'm sorry, I have to warn everyone!!" He turned and raced off towards the village proper.

Hanley stared after him, her heart still racing from the news.

"He...fell...?"

Nami placed a hand on her arm, visibly upset. "Hanley...it'll be alright--"

"Oh thank God!" Hanley placed a hand over her heart and closed her eyes as relief flooded through her. "He only fell off a cliff!"

"_Only_ fell off a cliff?" Piiman echoed, staring at her as if she lost her mind. Zoro also looked relieved, while Nami gave a shaky laugh.

"Now that you mention it, for that guy, that's no big deal."

Hanley wiped her eyes. "Man, I feared the worst! Geez, I figured he drowned or something. I was about to cry, too."

"Uh..." Ninjin muttered.

"Hey, kids, show us to the coast, won't you?"

"Yeah, sure, it's just that way."

The group hurried down the path into the thick forests. It wasn't a difficult, or very long, journey; they had only been in the forest for less than a minute when Piiman, Ninjin, and Tamanegi veered off the road and headed up a sharp incline.

Tamanegi pointed to the edge of the cliff. "This is where the captain comes when he's upset. If your friend fell off then he should be right below--" Hanley raced forward and looked over the side. Luffy was right there, head in the ground with his ass in the air. Hanley mentally calculated the distance and sighed.

"That idiot monkey, he's just fine. Such a little drop won't do him in."

"Little drop??" Piiman exclaimed, which turned into a shout when Hanley calmly stepped off the edge.

'Still, I should beat him up for making me worry...' She landed easily, allowing her body to slip into a crouch to absorb the shock. Hanley looked him over and shoved him onto his side. The sudden jolt didn't affect him at all. Luffy let out a loud snore and rolled into a fetal position.

"Asleep. Did he have one of his narcoleptic spells again? Hey, Hanuman!" Hanley shook his shoulder, but he was still out of it. By this time, the others were coming around the bend, having taken the path all the way out to the shore.

"He okay?" Zoro called.

Hanley nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. "He's asleep, that's why he wasn't moving!"

"Asleep?? How is that even--no, no, I momentarily forgot the sort of company I now keep." Nami pinched the bridge of her nose. "Can you wake him?"

"I'm trying...hold on. Hanuman! Breakfast is ready--"

Luffy's eyes snapped open and he nearly launched himself at Hanley.

"Is there bacon??...Huh, wait." He looked at his surroundings, puzzled. "...Hanley, there's no food."

"No, I lied."

"Oh. Hey, what are you doing here--"

"I was told you were dead, moron!!! How could I _not_ check up on you??? You have some nerve falling off a cliff!!!"

Hanley yelling in his ear wasn't anything new, so Luffy busied himself with brushing the dirt and sand off his hat and adjusting his clothes. Once settled, he grinned widely. "Sorry, Hanley."

Hanley grumbled as her anger faded. Stupid kid! She wrapped her arms around his neck and began to squeeze the life out of him. "Don't you do that again! I told you I have a weak heart!"

"Hanley, your boobs are suffocating me again! Stoppit!"

Ninjin shook his head. "How is that guy still alive?"

"Oi, oi," Zoro intervened. "Luffy, do you know why that long-nosed kid was so upset?"

"Huh? Oh, right!" Luffy managed to get an hand up and push Hanley off him so he could breathe properly. "It's that bastard Care-taker. He's a pirate captain and his crew is gonna invade tomorrow morning. He and some weird guy were talking about killing the Ojousama and taking her treasure."

The three children immediately began to shout in panic over the news. Hanley rubbed her face and sighed.

'Typical. I can't even muster up the energy to be surprised anymore. Of course we stumble upon a conspiracy to murder, why the fuck not?'

Tamanegi grabbed Luffy by the vest and shook him. "Are you sure? They're going to murder Kaya-san and invade the village??"

"Yup, that's what they said. I don't think it was a mistake." Luffy replied as Tamanegi went right back to panicking with his friends.

Zoro asked the obvious question. "Why are you sleeping here, then?"

Luffy crossed his arms and his brow furrowed in thought. "That's...I think I was standing over the cliff."

"It doesn't matter. You're not hurt, and we have something important to take care of, right? I say we just go to the mansion and kick Kurahadol's face in." Hanley figured it would be best to just wrap it up before things got complicated. If her magatama didn't utter a peep, those two probably weren't worth worrying about. Well, then again, she also dismissed that hypnotist as useless.

'Maybe...I should treat this seriously. They might not have a lot of power, but I could get myself killed if I let my guard down...' Hanley turned her attention back to the party, where Nami was trying to get the kids to calm down with mixed results.

"More importantly, that's why your captain was running to the village." Nami finally managed to get Usopp's crew to stop shouting and focus. "It's good that you knew about this beforehand. If you can escape now, you will be safe. Luckily for us, these enemies seem to be very stupid."

"They did just let Usopp run off, didn't they? I wonder why?" Hanley scratched her chin thoughtfully.

The boys, however, looked reassured, and their spirits improved immediately. Ninjin was already leading them back towards the village. "That's true, let's get out of here!"

"Yes, let's get all our treasure and run away!" Piiman suggested as they dashed towards the village.

"...Did anyone else notice that they didn't seem that concerned for their parents?" Hanley asked.

"That's not our problem. What are we going to do? Stay and fight? Or leave as well?" Zoro looked down at Luffy, waiting for his orders.

Luffy rubbed his chin before gasping. "Ah, we should...!"

"What is it?"

"We'd better hurry up and buy some food, otherwise the butcher will run away too!" He looked absolutely horrified as he leaped to his feet. "Let's hurry after those kids before all the meat's gone!"

"H-Hanuman, are you serious--wait! Dammit, come on." Hanley chased after him, not even waiting to see if Nami and Zoro were following. They ran all the way through the forest, their longer legs easily allowing them to catch up to the Vegetable Bunch as well. From there, it would be a short trip to the village proper where the butcher should be located. If nothing else, this meant she probably wouldn't have to pay for food from the Grocer's if they up and abandoned their store.

'Damn, maybe Nami has a point about my moral compass.'

"We have to find the butcher first thing!" ordered Luffy as they ran.

"He needs to work on his priorities." Nami grumbled, sharing a look with Hanley.

"I don't know what you expect me to do about it. It's already been ten years!"

"Captain!" Tamanegi cried as they saw Usopp on top of the hill. Hanley's eyes narrowed when she saw him wipe his face. That wasn't enough to keep her from noticing that he looked terribly upset, and as they drew closer she could tell he had been crying from the puffiness of his eyes. Her eyes were then drawn to the black bandage around his left arm and that made her all the more concerned.

'What the hell happened??'

Hanley lightly tapped Nami on the shoulder. "Hey, Nami..."

"Yeah, something went wrong," she agreed, also noticing Usopp's bedraggled appearance.

His crew, however, didn't appear to notice any of this as they came to a stop before him, gasping for breath.

"Oh, it's you." Usopp grunted, trying to keep his voice from cracking. His eyes bulged when he noticed Luffy standing behind Ninjin. "You're not dead??"

"I just woke up." Luffy didn't seem to notice Usopp's shock.

"He was in a deep sleep," Piiman quickly explained before changing the subject. "Anyway, we heard everything!! We have to tell everyone about the pirates!!"

"Tell everyone..." Usopp trailed off and he had an odd look on his face. A moment of silence passed before he burst out into hysterical laughter.

His crew glanced at each other in confusion.

"Uh, Captain? Is something funny?" Ninjin asked. The question was enough to pull Usopp back into the present. He gave a wide grin and crossed his arms.

"You should know I was lying again! I hate that butler, so I made up the story about him being a pirate!" He threw back his head and laughed even harder, as if he was the only person in on some massive joke; apparently, that was the case, if what he was saying could be believed.

'Except Hanuman heard the plot as well, and I don't think he'd agree to something like this...' Hanley looked at Luffy, who was looking just as perplexed as the rest of them. 'Besides, he can't lie to save his life.'

Hanley was also surprised to see that his crew members didn't look that happy with his supposed trick. The three of them began to scowl the more Usopp cackled, until finally Ninjin turned his back.

"I don't like the captain doing that."

"I don't like it either," Piiman agreed.

"Even though that caretaker is bad, Captain should never make up stories about anyone."

"Let's go home."

"Yeah, it's dinner time." They left without another word to Usopp, leaving him behind without so much as a backward glance. Hanley's eyes slid back to him, and for a moment she thought of how incredibly alone he looked, standing there as he gazed down on the village. His shoulders began to shake slightly as he watched them head back to their safe, warm houses. Hanley thought, suddenly, that she knew that Yasopp was with Shanks, but what about Usopp's mother?

Finally, after several long moments of silence he gave a weak sigh and turned back to them. His eyes were wet but he seemed to be finished crying, and the makeshift bandage on his arm was now leaking blood again. The sun was beginning to set, then, and Hanley was surprised at how quickly time passed since their talk in the tavern that morning.

"You should get that looked at." Nami nodded her head toward Usopp's arm. It was trembling slightly, probably from the pain, but Usopp shook his head and clutched his arm to his chest.

"It's nothing. Aren't you going to leave as well?"

Hanley tilted her head to the side. "Why? Hanuman told us what happened."

Usopp flinched and cleared his throat.

"Ah, you see..."

"Usopp, things didn't go so well in town, did they?"

Usopp winced and rubbed the back of his neck, reflexively looking back at his home. His face was difficult to make out, now, as his back was to the setting sun, but the tone of his voice was more than enough to confirm their suspicions.

"You could say that," he muttered bitterly. He walked past them, heading back toward the coast. It was growing dark rather quickly, but Usopp knew exactly where to go, was able to follow the path's twists and turns as it vanished into the woods. Just before he hit the treeline, he whirled on them, expression frustrated.

"Why are you following me?? This isn't your business!"

Zoro scratched his head and let out a sigh. "Yeah, normally it wouldn't be, but I don't think any of us are really the type to let this kind of thing slide."

"And," Nami added, "we want to know why you lied to them. Judging from the way no one is leaving, I'd be correct in assuming they didn't believe you, right?"

"Lied a few too many times, Usopp?" Hanley raised an eyebrow at him. He really flinched then, and his mouth opened in protest. However, no words came out, as he quickly deflated, his shoulders slumping once more.

"None of them believed me. Kurahadol's too well liked, and I'm too big a liar." Usopp grit his teeth and rubbed his eyes.

"Like the kid who cried wolf, I guess."

"What?"

"Oh, well," Hanley began, blinking when everyone focused their attention on her, "it's some old story back home. It was about some village kid who spent everyday screaming something like, 'the wolf is coming, the wolf is coming!'...uh, something like that. But there was never a wolf, the boy was always telling a lie to have fun at their expense. Oh, I think he was a shepard--"

"Is there a point to this story, Hanley?" Zoro interrupted her before she got off on a tangent.

Hanley rubbed her cheek sheepishly. "Oh, yeah. Point is, he lied so many times that when a wolf actually did come to eat the sheep (uh, maybe I'm mixing stories up), no one believed him and left him alone."

"What...what happened to that poor boy?" Usopp's voice was faint and his eyes glimmered with unshed tears.

"If I remember right, he died. Got eaten by the wolf."

Nami slapped her forehead. Usopp stared at Hanley in horror, face stricken. Finally realizing what she just said, Hanley quickly raised her hands and waved them.

"Ah, but, I'm sure nothing's going to happen to you, Usopp! Kurahadol isn't going to slit your throat or anything--"

"Why don't I feel better??" Usopp screamed as he pulled at his hair. Hanley winced.

"I swear, I'll make sure of it! I can't let Yasopp's kid die on my watch, can I?"

Usopp calmed down quickly enough at the mention of his father. "Oh, yeah, Luffy said you were there, too..."

"Yup. Your father was a nice guy. I don't think Hanuman'd be happy if we left you, right?"

"Right," Luffy agreed, nodding sharply, "so, what're you gonna do, Usopp?"

Usopp broke out into a small smile. "Come on, this way." He had a definite pep in his step as he lead their group back to the coast.

"I'm guessing you do have a plan," Zoro noted as they walked. Night had fallen fast, and it was pitch black save for the crescent moon rising in the sky. The dim lights from the village couldn't hope to penetrate the dark wood, and if not for Usopp they probably would have been stumbling their way through the wilderness.

Once settled on the coast, Usopp adopted a thoughtful pose.

"It's not much of a plan, but...everyone thinks it's a lie, that tomorrow will be a peaceful day." He fell silent for a moment, until he was suddenly on his feet and staring out at the calm, empty ocean before him. "So, I will wait for them here! I will make the truth into a lie! They will think that tomorrow will be another peaceful day for them!" It sounded like an oath, although who, exactly, he was pledging it to Hanley didn't really know. Maybe it was no one; maybe it was the villagers themselves. Usopp placed a hand over his bindings.

"I even got shot in the arm...I was even chased by the villagers, but it is the village that I have been trying to protect. I love this village, and I want to protect everyone. I can't stand it, all of them will be killed without knowing anything." His voice cracked and his head lowered until his face was buried in his hands. The four of them glanced at each other before Zoro smirked.

"I'm convinced. You truly are a good guy. You think you'll be the only one to protect this village?"

Usopp's head snapped up in surprise.

"But...why do you care? You aren't invested in this place in any way."

"Doesn't matter. It's your wish to protect this village. So, we'll help, too." Luffy cracked his knuckles, already pumping himself up for the upcoming battle.

Nami gave him a thumb's up. "But I have to tell you first, the treasure will be mine." Well, that was certainly typical. Hanley snickered.

"Oh come on, Usopp-kun, didn't I say I wasn't going to let Yasopp's kid die on my watch?"

Usopp coughed and wiped his eyes. "Well, yeah, but that doesn't mean you were gonna--"

"Well, obviously we're going to protect this village with you. Don't worry about it, Kurahadol and his crew won't stand a chance."

"I had no idea Demon Hags could be so nice--"

"What the fuck was that?"

"Haha, j-just kidding! You all...I don't know what to say."

Luffy smiled and slapped his back, nearly sending him into the sand. "Besides, your face says you're scared."

"After all," added Zoro, "there are a lot of enemies. We are talking about an entire crew."

Usopp choked slightly and immediately jerked his thumb to his chest. "Don't be stupid! You think I'm scared of them?? Even though they have more people, I will never be afraid of them! I am Captain Usopp! I am the greatest fighter of the sea!!"

All of their eyes were drawn to the knocking of his knees. It was a wonder he was still able to stand.

Usopp snarled and began to hit his shaking legs, ashamed at his cowardice. He saw them looking and snapped.

"What are you looking at?? They are the Kuro Pirates, remember? Everyone must be afraid of them, you got a problem with that??"

Zoro grunted. "No one is laughing at you. We're lending you a hand because we think you're good. That's all."

Usopp nodded and took a deep breath. He pointed up the somewhat steep slope and towards the forest.

"They will come to this coast because it leads directly to the village. This path is the only way." He began to walk up the slope, eying the steep cliffs that surrounded it. They slowly followed him, keeping mostly silent as he seemed to be coming up with some kind of plan. "It's easy to say that..."

"Huh, it is?" Luffy asked, scratching his hat.

"What are your skills?"

"Cutting," came Zoro's quick reply.

"Stretching." Luffy added.

"Stealing." Nami said.

Hanley thought for a moment and shrugged. "Brawling."

Usopp nodded and turned so that his back was to them.

"My skill is hiding--"

The four of them shouted, "You have to fight, too, Usopp!"

Usopp scratched his head sheepishly and cleared his throat.

"Er, yeah, right, of course." He gazed down at the slope once more. "Since we're so outnumbered, we should...Wait, I have it! I'll be right back!" Without another word, he dashed into the forest and out of sight.

"Huh, wonder what he's gonna do," Luffy wondered.

"It looks like he thought of something." Zoro stuffed his hands in his pockets and leaned against the west cliff face. Hanley looked up into the sky, not sure just how late it was. All they knew for now was that the attack would happen in the morning; unfortunately, it was never specified _when_ in the morning it would happen. All they could do was sit around and wait.

"Or, he's running away." Nami pointed out.

Hanley shook her head. "He wouldn't do that." They looked at each other. "Uh, right? He really wouldn't?"

"Naw, I don't think so. He's committed to protecting this place." Luffy sounded confident, as he usually did. He plopped down onto the ground, legs crossed.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's just see what he comes up with."

Usopp didn't leave them for long, as after an hour passed Hanley spotted him emerging from the forest, pushing a wheelbarrow full of what looked to be cans of paint.

"Hey, what's that?" Luffy sat up as he drew closer. Usopp grinned and set down his burden.

"Oil! I got as much as I could that was lying around."

"Oh, we're going to set them on fire??" Hanley exclaimed. She blanched when everyone began staring at her. "What? He said oil."

Zoro didn't answer her, only returning his attention to Usopp. "I see her complex is evolving."

"Honestly, why else get oil?"

Usopp coughed. "Ah, We're just going to put it down on the slope."

"...Ah, I got ya. To prevent them from coming up." Why did they stare at her like that anyway? What was wrong with just burning them a little? Hanley grumbled a bit as she began unloading the wheelbarrow.

"It's a good strategy. We'll shoot at them as they try to climb this slope. So, that's our main objective."

'Funny. No one's giving him looks over shooting people.'

"That's not a bad idea. Come on, let's get this stuff spread." Nami grabbed one of the cans and headed down to the bottom of the slope.

Luffy held up one of the cans for a closer look.

"This is a crazy idea." He popped open a can and tossed the oil onto the path.

"Watch it! We have to make sure _we_ don't slip on our trap!" Nami grabbed his ear and dragged him down to where she was. Hanley was more than happy to delegate that task.

"I hope this is enough. I...had to steal a lot of it..." Usopp muttered as he helped her with unloading.

"It can't be helped. This is for their protection. Some stealing is very much necessary...and shut up Miss-Pirate-Thief."

Nami laughed. "You have a point."

They worked mainly in silence, only speaking when they had to call for more oil or to warn someone else when they grew careless. The process was surprisingly arduous; it wasn't complicated, but the repetition of it all somehow made it worse. The night wore on as they worked, their only source of light being the half moon in the sky. Hanley wasn't certain how many hours had passed, but it seemed too soon that the sky began to lighten into the slate gray of pre-dawn.

Usopp paused to wipe his brow. It was a little chilly due to their proximity to the ocean and the time of day, but all of them had worked up a sweat. Their hard work was paying off, however, as they were nearing the top of the slope now. Usopp tossed another can into the disposal pile and sighed.

"Amazing..."

"What is?" Zoro asked as he came up for another can. Usopp smiled wistfully and shook his head.

"I was thinking just now: you're living a dream. You're sailing the seas and fighting righteous battles! I hope I can do that, one day."

Hanley smiled at him and patted his shoulder. She supposed he really was his father's son. "I don't see why not, Usopp. Yasopp would be proud. And, you can meet each other as equals on the sea."

Usopp's eyes widened briefly and he smiled more fully. "Yeah, you're right!"

"Let's get past this battle, first," Nami advised as Hanley passed her the last can. She handed it off to Luffy to dump and stretched her aching limbs. "Ah, I'm so tired...I hope they don't get here too soon. I need the rest."

"Really? I think this made for a great warm up." Hanley bounced a little on the balls of her feet, eager to gain more fighting experience. Apparently, Kuro was captain of a rather infamous group of pirates. If she was lucky, they'd provide her with a challenge.

"It is a good idea to get the blood flowing before going in," Zoro agreed as his fingers lightly tapped a rhythm on the hilt of his katana.

Luffy threw away the last can and looked out towards the horizon. "This'll work, right?"

"Of course it will! Leave the crazy plans and shooting to me, I'm very confident!" Usopp proclaimed. They had nothing to do but wait, now, as the sun began to creep above the horizon. Hanley shielded her eyes against the bright, morning light and took a deep breath.

"Well, it's properly morning. It should be any minute now."

"Yeah, any minute now..." Usopp gulped and nervously messed with the elastic band on his slingshot. The group stood five across, waiting for the pirates to come and invade the island. As minutes ticked by, however, Luffy became restless and kicked a pebble onto their oil slide.

Hanley ruffled his hair. "Getting anxious, Hanuman?" The question was largely rhetorical, but Hanley was starting to get irritated herself. Dawn had come and was rapidly passing, they should have been here by now!

"Yeah...if I'd known they'd be late, I'd have gotten breakfast, Hanley," Luffy huffed.

Zoro rolled his shoulders and shifted his feet, unable to remain still himself.

"Maybe they're oversleeping."

"Huh, if that's the case they're pretty lazy pirates." Hanley yawned and rubbed her aching eyes. The adrenalin was starting to fade, leaving her tired from staying up all night. If they didn't hurry she was just going to say fuck it and take a nap. Before she could scope out a good spot to lay down, a faint sound in the distance caught her attention. Hanley frowned and turned inland, concentrating.

"That's weird...I hear something." It was extremely faint, but it sounded like...rumbling? Voices? It was hard to make out.

"Huh, what?" Usopp asked. Nami put her hands to her ears as well and strained to listen as well. She slowly nodded in confirmation.

"Yeah, I hear it now. It's coming from the north--"

Usopp pressed his hands against his head with a panicked scream.

"North??"

"What is it??" Zoro shouted.

"There is also a port to the north," Usopp groaned.

"We've been waiting at the wrong place??"

"I thought that they would come this way because we saw them talking here!"

Hanley slapped her forehead. "Oh this figures! How could we forget we came up on that side??"

Usopp hurriedly pointed northward. "If we hurry north, it should take about three minutes! The geography there is similar to this slope. If we can get them at that slope, we should be fine!"

Luffy was already dashing ahead. "I'll make it in twenty seconds!"

"Hanuman, you have no sense of direction!!" Hanley called after him, although it was simply a futile move on her part.

'I...he's going to be the end of me. I'll never get home because Hanuman will have killed me.'

Hanley's shoulders slumped. "...Damn."

"There's no time!" Usopp screamed as he ran towards the other slope. Hanley hesitated before growling in frustration and following him. Hanuman would be fine, she'd just have to trust he'd get there...eventually. Maybe they'll get lucky and for once, in his life, he'll remember what Ace said about navigation and apply it and...

'Who the fuck am I kidding?'

Usopp was neck to neck with her, which was pretty impressive, Hanley thought, seeing as he didn't have the training. They bypassed the dirt path entirely and ran across the pastures, shaving off as many seconds as they could by going the direct route. The village was still sleeping this time in the morning; hopefully, they wouldn't realize a thing. If Kuro's crew was too big, however...

Usopp was already pulling out his slingshot and loading it by the time they reached the other coast and the slope. He was the human equivalent to the semi-automatic, firing off rapid shots with impressive speed and accuracy. The attack, although non-lethal, caused enough confusion to temporarily stop the advance of the pirates.

"J-Just made it..." Usopp breathed, although he was far from relaxing.

Hanley quickly tallied up the crew's numbers while they were in a state of confusion.

"Oh, there's about...what, thirty? That's not too horrible--"

"How is that not horrible?? And what about Luffy? He left before us!"

"Oh, well, about that..."

"There's some people up there!" one of the victims below shouted. They didn't look like much, just a generic crew with odd tastes in eye shadow application. Even if Hanley knew nothing about them, they were really pushing the feline theme to new, disturbing heights. She supposed she ought to be grateful they didn't wear fur.

Like Usopp said before, the geography of this side of the coast was nearly identical. Hanley bit her lip as she began to calculate their chances. Without the oil, their task was now exponentially more difficult. Usopp was a long distance fighter, so until Luffy and Zoro, showed up, she would have to make sure none of the pirates got past her to his position. She definitely wasn't looking forward to that, considering she could only cover so much space.

'How am I supposed to cover that many people by myself? Usopp will be helping, but...'

There was also the hypnotist. Hanley had no idea what other special abilities he might have. He stood out, of course, as his garb had become even more flamboyant with a dark blue coat with gold trim. He idly stroked his odd beard, looking mostly calm, only showing surprise that someone was there to impede their progress.

"So it's you."

Usopp gulped and immediately commenced to bluffing his ass off.

"I am Captain Usopp, and I have been waiting for you! If you don't want to die, you had better get out of this village!"

"I didn't think you'd actually show, kid. And you brought company. What do you want?" Jango asked.

"This is your last warning!" Usopp adopted a dramatic pose, his left arm held out in front of him. "If you don't give up now, my crew of a billion will destroy you all!"

Hanley slapped her forehead and sighed. Who the fuck would believe that??

"What?? One billion!" Jango shouted as he flinched back in shock. Hanley stared, having never come across someone as gullible as Luffy in all of her time in this place. She rather felt like she just discovered an unicorn.

"Captain, he's lying!"

"He's so gullible..." It was also strange that, for one brief moment, she felt an odd kinship with those men.

"What? They know??" cried Usopp in horror.

Hanley sighed. "Usopp, if you're going to lie, at least try to stick with it!"

Jango's expression turned sour. "How dare you trick me? You're a pain--"

"Captain!" One of the men came running up, pointing off to the side. "We found some treasure in that strange boat! It's worth about ten million berii!"

"T-Ten million??"

"Why do you have that much money??" Usopp cried.

Hanley shrugged. "Oh, that's a weird story that has to do with a clown that likes shooting canons--"

"Now who's telling lies?" Usopp deadpanned.

"Hey!"

"A-Anyway! That's my treasure!" He thumped his chest, ignoring Hanley's shout of disbelief. "I can give it to you!"

"Usopp, there is no way in hell I'm letting you take our hard stolen money--"

Usopp pulled her down to whisper in her ear. "Wait, we can use it to bribe them to leave."

"Um, and what's to stop them from taking our money and invading the village anyway?"

"Ah, you're right!!"

"Enough." Jango reached into his coat and pulled out a small ring on a cord. It began to swing as Jango began his hypnosis. "If you understand, when I say 'One, two, Jango,' you have to open the way. One...two..."

Hanley immediately looked away. "Usopp, don't look!"

"What? Why--"

"Stop doing something stupid!" Out of the corner of her eye, Hanley spotted something heading right for her head. She quickly jerked her head back as Nami's staff fell on Usopp's head with a loud crack. Hanley winced as Usopp nearly fell forward onto his face while Nami shouted, "The treasure in that boat is mine!! I won't give them to anyone--not a single berii!"

Hanley coughed. "I do believe some of that is mine as well."

"Huh? Oh, yes, right."

'Why do I not believe you?'

"Usopp! Don't mess with my things!" Nami scolded as she gave him another knock upon the head.

"O-Ouch! Next time, just say so! You don't have to hit me!"

"What are you talking about, I just helped you."

"What?"

Nami pointed at Jango, who had stopped his trick for the time being. "That man is a hypnotist."

"Hypnotist?"

"Nevermind that, where's Luffy?"

Hanley held up her hands in an exasperated manner. "That idiot can't follow directions, it's that simple."

"Then he's missing at an important time..."

"L-Let's just get them, I'll support you!" Usopp cried. Nami scowled.

"Why do I have to do it?? I'm a girl, how can I fight a bunch of pirates?? Oh, right, Hanley, you do it!!"

Hanley crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Didn't you just say girls can't fight pirates?"

Nami shoved her forward. "You're Hanley, go beat them up!"

"Yeah, no way they can stand against a demon hag!" Usopp agreed with a cheer.

"Sure, I'll go. I mean, obviously my self-esteem is going to be a non-issue--"

"It really is a demon hag!" one of the pirates shouted below, pointing at her in horror. Hanley felt her left eye twitching as she continued down the slope. They weren't cowering, but they were clearly hesitant.

'Okay, now my feelings are starting to get hurt.'

Naturally, Usopp saw a wonderful opportunity.

"Y-Yes! I called her from her lonely cave in the mountains to fight against my enemies!" Usopp looked positively arrogant as he waved his finger at them. "But I am merciful. If you leave now, my servant will not attack and consume your flesh! Is that not right, my loyal servant?"

Hanley was literally shaking with anger as she slowly turned and bared her teeth at him.

"YES. _MASTER_."

Hanley was slightly gratified to see him flinch.

"Go, Onibaba!" Nami waved her hand, unafraid of the looks Hanley was giving her.

"Demon hag or not, this is not the time to play with them. Go and beat them!" Jango ordered. The men surged forward with a loud roar, brandishing various bladed and blunt weapons.

Hanley cursed and charged forward as well. There was no way she could stop them _all_ from passing her, but if she hit hard enough in the beginning...!

It was unorthodox, and Master Thai would have sneered at her, but Hanley dove into a flying tackle, slamming into the middle of the rush. She was moving even before she hit the ground, using the bodies under her to propel her forward into the fray. She jumped again, tucking her legs and kneeing two pirates with a flying strike in the face. She ducked under a wild swing from a makeshift hammer and spun, hitting her attacker with a backfist. She caught his shirt as he fell and swung his body around her, taking down as many men as she could before she got overwhelmed.

'If I knew one of the Rokushiki, this would be so much easier!...'

Hanley abandoned kicks completely and concentrated on using her elbows and knees, not wanting to extend her limbs too far in such cramped fighting quarters.

"Captain, we can't beat--"

"Keep going, there's only one of her!"

'True--ah!' She reeled when one of the men managed to catch her on the jaw with the guard of his cutlass. She quickly brought up her elbow and struck his jaw as hard as she could. She didn't even spare a thought if she snapped something important. She twisted under another clumsy swing from a sword and swung her back leg up and smashed his sternum with her knee. He crumpled under her, but Hanley was past caring as she stepped on him to break free of the rabble.

"Too many, too fucking many--"

"Killing marble!" Usopp screamed, firing at the pirate that was moving to hit her unprotected back.

"Thanks!" Hanley called up to him as she spun and smashed her heel into a pirate's jaw.

Unfortunately, that drew the attention of her opponents, and some of the men finally got the bright idea to break past her and head up the slope.

"Dammit, get back here! Let me break you in half!" Hanley roared as she sunk her elbow into someone's gut and started to make chase. One of the men grabbed her leg to stop her, and three others moved to jump on her.

"They're coming!" screamed Nami. She grabbed Usopp's arm and shook it. "Do something!"

"I got some caltraps!"

"Great!"

Usopp and Nami began tossing the iron spikes onto the ground, covering the area as fast as they could. They were largely successful, as the men fell prey to the hooks and howled in pain, clutching their feet. Still, it would only work for so long.

"Run, you two! Get Hanuman and Zoro!" Hanley had one of the men in a headlock and was throwing another one away by his long ponytail.

"Hanley, look out!" Nami pointed behind her.  
"Shit!" One of the men she downed earlier had come to and snagged her ankle, keeping her in place long enough for his companion to come up from behind.

"Die!" He sliced at her back. Hanley grit her teeth as it came down hard and scraped against her scales. It slid across her back, not breaking through but it hurt badly. It was the same sensation of dragging her nails across a chalkboard.

"Dammit, don't do that!" Hanley took advantage of his shock to punch him in the nose. He flew back into two more enemies.

'No wonder Master Thai goes straight for the kill. If it weren't for my scales I would've...' It was certainly a disturbing thought.

"She's a monster!! Get her!" Hanley didn't know who screamed it, but fear was making them more desperate to take her down. Hanley huffed blocked a hammer before it got her in the temple.

"I won't let such weak guys do me in!"

Hanley kicked him away and turned to advance up the slope...just in time to see Usopp fall victim to a brutal attack from behind. The stone hammer struck the back of his head and he went down, blood spraying from the wound.

"Usopp!!!" Hanley screamed as he fell onto the ground. Nami was horrified, but she had the presence of mind to hold up her staff in defense.

"Stay out of our way," the pirate said spitefully. Five men had gotten past her and now Nami was the last line of defense.

However, Usopp wasn't as unconscious (dead, Hanley thought the blow had killed him) as she thought, as he managed to get an arm up and grab his assailant's pants.

"I won't allow any of you to pass this slope! Even though I've been lying my whole life, I want this to be the truth! The village will only know a peaceful day today!!" Usopp looked to be half mad from pain and desperation as he pulled as hard as he could to stop the pirate.

"Usopp..." Hanley whispered. She had paused in her fight to watch him, but seeing him like that renewed her resolve. "I'm coming, you two, don't die!"

But Hanley was too far away, and one of the pirates leveled his saber at Usopp's unprotected back. Hanley cursed and tried to close the distance, but there was no way she'd make it.


	13. Nightmare B

Chapter Ten: Nightmare on Elm Street, B-Side

**********

'Soru...if only I could have figured out Soru at least!!'

Nami came to the rescue, knocking the pirate away with a solid hit to the head. However, it was for nothing when she blocked the blow of another pirate, which caused her to be thrown back into the cliff.

"That just leaves the Demon Hag!"

"Yosh, she won't last forever!"

Hanley kicked one of them in the groin. "Stop calling me hag! How old do I look to you, anyway??"

'Dammit, where are those guys?? I can't do this by myself! I'll have to start killing them if I want some relief...!'

"Concentrate on getting to the village! Don't let that woman stop you!" Hanley had completely forgotten that Jango was down below. "Did you forget about Captain Kuro's plan? If you ruined his plan..." He trailed off, which made the message even more ominous.

"Captain..." one of the men began, but Jango cut him off.

"He will kill every single one of us! Haven't you realized that, idiots??"

The men looked at each other, fear on every single one of their faces.

"Get to the village!!" There was a veritable stampede as the ones still able to move began to charge up the slope in mass. She had permanently taken down ten, but that still left a good twenty to go. Hanley tried to grab as many as she could, but she only had two hands and--

The pirates screamed as they flew through the air and right back down the slope. Hanley had to move to the side to avoid getting hit.

"Those two...they're finally..."

One of the pirates shouted in frustration and terror.

"What is this, Captain? We never knew this village had those kind of people!"

"What was that?" Zoro growled, looking beyond irritated. His bandanna was already tied tightly around his head and he was shouldering one of his katana.

Luffy cracked his knuckles. "I dunno, but I don't like it."

"You idiots!! Where the hell were you??" Hanley shouted as she stormed up the slope. She was slightly pleased to see none of the pirates nearby were eager to get her.

"I would have been here if Nami hadn't stepped on my head! I won't forgive her!" Zoro directed the last sentence in Nami's direction.

"Usopp!! Why didn't you tell me which way north was??" Luffy added.

Hanley sighed, deciding not to correct him. "It doesn't matter! I'm just glad you managed to get here!"

"I...you guys are that strong?" Usopp asked them as he sat up. Against all odds he actually seemed to be pretty coherent. Hanley moved to check on him.

"Yep. Oh, looks like Hanley's taken out a good chunk." Luffy peered down the slope.

Hanley knelt beside Usopp. "No thanks to you."

"Don't worry, we'll pull our own weight." Zoro stated.

"You had better! Why are you so late? Geez!" Nami complained as she slowly got to her feet.

"Isn't that your fault?? You pushed me down the slope!"

"It was an accident, I can't help that!"

Meanwhile, Luffy was yelling at Usopp over his own horrible sense of direction. Hanley sighed at the noisy bunch and turned her attention back down the slope. Jango was standing amongst a sea of casualties. Hanley couldn't make out what he said, but the men were slowly picking themselves up. She hummed in surprise; she honestly expected them to turn tail by now.

"Huh, y'see that, Hanuman?"

Luffy nodded. "They still want to fight? They're very stubborn!"

"Listen, we don't have a lot of time to play around, when our enemies become stronger, we shall become stronger, too." Jango took his ring out once more; this time, however, he held it up for his men to see. "Look at this ring! When I say, 'One, two, Jango,' you will become stronger. All of your wounds will be cured, and you will get stronger and stronger."

'Is that even possible?'

"What're they doing?" Luffy asked curiously, staring intently at Jango.

Nami answered, "Being hypnotized to get stronger...this is crazy!"

"At this point, I'm thinking there're crazier things than hypnotism." Hanley watched with interest, and then outright shock as the band of beaten, downtrodden men suddenly became ravenous beasts. Their pupils dilated and their arms bulged with unnatural muscle growth. One man swung his fist and slammed it into the cliff face, causing the rock to crumble while the men roared in exhilaration. "What the fuck? You can't be serious!!"

"Go get them!!" Jango screamed, unleashing his army of berserkers. The pirate crew began their wild charge up the slope, now fully capable of ripping them apart.

Zoro immediately took out his second katana and nodded at Nami and Usopp. "The two of you get out of here! Hanley, Luffy, get ready--Luffy?"

The tone in Zoro's voice was enough to tear Hanley's attention away from the approaching pirate crew. "Zoro, what is--Hanuman??"

Luffy paid no heed to either of them as he screamed and threw up his fists, eyes blank from Jango's hypnosis. Hanley couldn't even believe what she was seeing. Luffy's gullibility soared to new heights! It was inhuman, there was no other reason for it.

'Only Luffy can get hypnotized over such a long distance...when he's not even the target. Oh Ace, I don't think you'll ever see your brother again, I'm so sorry!'

Luffy roared and sped down the hill, ignoring Zoro's and Hanley's cries. He began punching the air before him, using his elastic limbs to propel his fists faster and faster until it looked as if he had multiple arms.

"Gomu Gomu no Machine Gun!!" His fists met the first wave of attackers and literally blew them away. It wasn't enough to down them completely, as the pirates were already picking themselves off the ground.

"That's...the first time I've seen that one. Really impressive," Hanley muttered.

Usopp was more concerned with other matters. "How did he do that with his hands??"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know!"

"Know what??"

Luffy was far from done. Snarling, he began to run headlong down the slope, chasing the now fleeing pirates all the way down the incline. He ran over them and didn't stop until he literally slammed head first into the pirate ship docked at the coast. Luffy extended his arms and grabbed the stem of the ship and began to pull it right out of the hull. The feat was already amazing, but it was made even more so given that it involved ripping the keel itself apart. Hanley's jaw dropped progressively lower as Luffy somehow found the strength to rip it completely from the ship with a loud scream.

"Go, Luffy!" Nami cried.

"He's destroying our ship!" one of the men screamed from below.

Luffy staggered back, tightly holding the stem with the cat figurehead still perched on the top. He looked at the men and growled, swinging his prize with surprising ease, given the sheer size and weight of the piece of timber.

"He's trying to crush us! Captain, do something!!"

Jango snapped out of his frozen state and fumbled with his ring as Luffy came ever closer to wiping them out. The only thing missing from the scene was a hockey mask and a busty young woman incapable of running without tripping.

"One, two, Jango, and you will be asleep! One! Two! Jango!"

Luffy's face slowly lost its crazed look as he drifted off to sleep. He finally succumbed to Jango's orders, falling backwards with the large beam of wood landing right on top of his motionless body. The pirates screamed in horror as they, too, fell victim to their own ship-stem. The impact kicked up a giant cloud of dust and sand, and when it cleared, there were bodies flung all over the place.

"It's like a massacre..." Hanley muttered. She eyed Luffy's unmoving body worriedly; judging from the size, it would be quite the job getting him out from under it.

"It looks like he took out all of them." Nami was sitting cross-legged on the grass while Usopp was still in a state of shock.

"He's under the stem..."

Zoro smirked, one step away from laughing at the entire situation. "Don't worry, he's not dead. You better worry about yourself first." He nodded towards Usopp, referring to the nasty head injury he sustained.

"Oh, that's right!" Hanley looked at Usopp carefully now, having been distracted before. "I'd hate for you to suffer from an aneurysm and drop dead or something..."

"How is that comforting??" Usopp cried, now looking worried himself.

"It's my job as a _demon hag_."

"Haha...you're not still angry about that, are you?"

"Now why say that?"

Nami pointed. "It's probably the throbbing vein on your forehead."

"Hey, Buchi, look! Our ship's stem has disappeared!"

"You're right, where is it??" They were faint, but Hanley could clearly hear two voices echoing from the now useless ship.

Zoro tsked in annoyance. "Seems like there are people on the ship."

"Looks like you get your chance to pull your weight, after all, Mr. Zoro," said Hanley.

"Heh, don't call me 'Mister.'" Zoro held up one of his katana. "Still, I wonder what manner of creature is gonna come out of there."

Jango raised his arms and shouted, "Come out, Nyabun Brothers!"

"...Nya what? What did he call them? They really like cats, don't they?" Hanley tensed as two shapes leaped from the top deck and landed beside Jango. "...What the hell?"

To put it mildly, the two of them were hardly impressive. One was an incredibly thin man with green hair and hunchback. Hanley cringed at the sight of his shorts that were, frankly, too damn short. His brother was fatter, and at least decent (in the sense he wasn't one split away from showing everything he had), but he was still odd looking with the bell around his neck and the cape over his shoulders. Both brothers had cat ears and gloves on their hands with sharpened claws on the fingertips.

"Zoro, do you know what we're looking at?"

"Tch, not really."

"What are they?..." Nami wondered. Usopp shook his head.

"They're good jumpers, at least."

Jango nodded, pleased. "You have come, Nyabun Brothers."

The thin one stood. "You called, Captain?"

"Captain," his brother said.

"Buchi, Sham," Jango began, stepping aside, "no matter what, we have to get past this slope. As you can see, there are people up there blocking us. Can you take care of them?"

To their shock, the two brothers began to shiver and and refuse.

"W-What?? I don't think I can, can you, Buchi?" Sham asked, shaking his head and waving his arms fearfully. Buchi was looking just as pathetic, shaking even more than Sham.

"I don't think so either. Besides, that man looks strong!"

"And who knows what that woman is!"

Hanley flinched and her fingers slowly curled into claws.

"I'm going to kill them," she snarled.

"Aren't they the secret weapons?" Usopp asked.

Nami coughed and looked embarrassed for them. "Looks like they're afraid."

"We are merely ship protectors..." Sham held up his hands helplessly.

Buchi copied him. "Even if we came out, we can't help anyone."

"Get going, Sham!" Jango screamed, finally losing his composure. Sham freaked out.

"What?? Me??"

"Get going!!"

"Alright, alright!" Sham stumbled forward, wincing.

Hanley scratched her cheek, perplexed. "They can't be serious, right?"

"Be prepared, I'm coming!" Sham let out a battle, er, shriek, and charged forward, arms flailing as he ran up the slope.

"Um, here he comes, Mr. Zoro!"

Zoro grunted and called out, "If you come closer, I'll cut you to pieces!"

However, instead of cringing or cowering, Sham smirked and his eyes narrowed.

"Do it if you can!"

"W-What?" Zoro quickly raised his sword to block Sham's fierce claw strike. His arms shook as he struggled to keep up the block. Sham possessed a strength that belied his thin frame.  
Sham licked his lips. "You might think I'm a weakling, right?" He leaped away and landed gracefully on his feet.

'His movements are completely different, now!' Hanley thought in alarm. 'It must have been an act!'

"That was a good counter! Right now, I have a cat spirit!"

"Zoro, where are your other swords??" Nami cried. Both Hanley and Zoro quickly looked at his haramaki, which was now bare.

"How the fuck--" Hanley turned around to see the katana tied to Sham's back.

"Looks like you're a good fighter, but...do not underestimate the Nyabun Brothers of the Black Cat crew." His voice took on a mocking tone and he idly waved his hand. "Is something missing? Hm?"

"Return my swords, now!" Zoro snapped.

"Oh? But aren't you holding your sword in your hand?" Then he made a show of finding the katana on his back. "Ah, I see. Well, before we fight, these swords will be in the way."

With that, Sham flung the katana away like so much refuse. They flew down the slope and landed with a clatter at the foot of the hill. Hanley winced and glanced at Zoro. His hands clenched to the point his remaining katana was practically shaking in his grip. For a long moment, he seemed incapable of speaking, although he probably couldn't with the way his jaw was grinding his teeth into dust.

"Okay, shall we begin?" asked Sham, licking his claws.

"You should take care of other people's swords!" Zoro closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Hanley had never seen him move so fast before. His katana slashed Sham across the stomach, and the other fell back, a look of shock etched across his features. But Zoro didn't spare him another glance as he continued down the hill to fetch his precious katana.

"Great!" Usopp cried, snapping his fingers.

Buchi held up his claws. "Hm, it's my turn, now."

Zoro cursed as he neared his goal. "Dammit, what do you think you're doing to my--"

Hanley's eyes widened in shock as Sham suddenly straightened and dove towards Zoro's back, claws extended. She shouted, "Zoro, he's not dead!"

"Where are you cutting?" cackled Sham as he reached forward and grabbed Zoro's arms from behind. The middle of his shirt was cut away, exposing an even skinnier torso. His tent-like shirt and hunchback concealed an even skinner body.

"He is really skinny!" Usopp gaped at his unnatural form.

Sham sneered. "Buchi! Let's go!"

"Like hell," Hanley growled and she sped forward herself. She watched as Sham forced Zoro face down onto the ground, pinning him for Buchi to attack.

'I won't let you!' She put on an extra burst of speed and aimed a knee strike to the back of Sham's head. He looked back and barely managed to dodge her attack. She still managed to clip his jaw as he was forced to roll off of Zoro's form. Hanley wasn't stopping, however, and kept going until she intercepted Buchi's charge. Buchi raised his hands to shove her out of the way, only to blink in shock when Hanley slammed her palms into his and stopped him in his tracks.

"You!!--" Buchi grunted as he tried to push her back. Hanley slid back for a meter before she dug in her heels and stopped his advance. Her arms were already burning from his strength, but she held firm.

"Aren't you overlooking someone?" Hanley gasped. She also had the advantage of higher ground, giving her just enough leverage to hold Buchi in his place.

"I won't be pushed back by a woman..."

"Don't feel bad, it happens to the best of men." The boasting was empty, as she didn't know how long she could hold him. The muscles in her thighs and lower back were now burning furiously. It was only a matter of time before they had enough and gave out on her. "Zoro, hurry up and get your swords!" Hanley took a chance to look back and she cursed. Zoro was blocking Sham's lightning fast claw strikes with one sword. He must not have been used to it, as he looked almost clumsy holding one blade.

"Haha, it doesn't look good for either of you--what's that girl doing??"

Hanley glanced back again to see Nami making a break for the katana herself.

'What is she doing?? No, I'll trust her to get them. I can't let Buchi get to her!' With a sharp cry, Hanley suddenly shot her head forward and head butted Buchi in the face. He fell back, clutching his nose in agony while she howled in pain and pressed a hand to her forehead. 'Hanuman and Ace made it look so easy! Are their heads made of rock??' She blinked the tears from her face and pressed her attack, kneeing him as hard as she could in the gut.

"Thanks, Hanley--argh!" Unfortunately, the both of them forgot about Jango. Nami fell to the ground and skidded to a stop, her arm bleeding profusely. Jango held his ring in his hand, now using it as a weapon. Hanley had no idea it was so sharp.

"Nami, hold on!" Hanley took a step forward but movement from the corner of her eye caused her to bring up an arm. She blocked Buchi's hammerfist and was forced back, away from Nami.

"I have never been stopped, or hit, by a women before..." His nose was bleeding profusely and was already dripping blood down his chin and torso.

"There's a first time for everything." Hanley blinked when he made no other move to attack. She raised an eyebrow. "Uh, aren't you going to..." she trailed off in horror when Buchi met her eyes once more.

Only, they were sparkling. He was sparkling at her, and it was nowhere near as cute as when Hanuman did it.

'No...no way, what are the chances...!!'

"I have waited for this day!"

"I've never seen Buchi act that way before..." Jango observed. "I see. It is a beautiful thing."

Hanley began to backpedal, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

"It is not!"

'WHY?? Why can I NEVER attract a normal looking guy?? Why do I get the masochists?? I'm going to be ill, I'm going to be--what is he looking at?' Hanley paused in her retreat and blinked in confusion as both Jango and Buchi were staring past her in absolute terror. Everything was silent, and Hanley began to get an awful feeling in her chest. She whirled around to look behind her.

"Kurahadol...?" He was dressed the same as yesterday, in a crisp black suit with striped shoes. However, this time he carried a case in one hand. Kurahadol, or, rather, Kuro, stood at the height of the slope, looking down at all of them with a dark look on his face. He was completely different from the stern, yet harmless, caretaker they had met earlier. It was as if he was an entirely different character.

"Captain Kuro...?" one of the men whimpered from behind her, "we're going to die."

Buchi was trembling badly, for real this time. It was so bad she almost mustered up the pity to feel sorry for him.

If he wasn't so damned creepy she just might have.

"I have spent three years waiting and working quietly on my plan..." Kuro said, adjusting his glasses with the heel of his hand. "So, I ask you this: it has passed dawn, and my plan still hasn't worked...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING??"

One of the pirates actually let out a small sob in the face of Kuro's fury. Hanley bit her lip. The rest of the crew were chumps compared to this guy!

Kuro sneered and his eyes narrowed. "Don't tell me you've been stopped by these rats? Have the Black Cat pirates become so weak in my absence? Say something, Jango!!"

Jango flinched and he cleared his throat, desperately searching for an answer that wouldn't result in his demise.

"But...you told me that kid wouldn't affect your plans, didn't you?

"...Yes, I told you. So what? It really shouldn't be a problem if that kid tries to stop us. You should know that. It's just that you are weaker than I thought. I don't want to hear any more excuses."

Buchi and Sham flinched at the word "weak."

"You call us weak...?" Sham actually turned away from Zoro while Buchi growled.

"Watch your words, Captain Kuro."

Zoro and Hanley straightened in surprise at the blatant insubordination.

'Mutiny?' Hanley wondered as her eyes flickered between them.

Sham tensed and Buchi also readied himself to attack.

"It's true that you 'were' strong..." Sham continued.

Kuro's face still held its disdainful look. "What are you trying to say?"

"Stop! Buchi! Sham!" But Jango's warning went unheeded as Buchi moved up to stand beside his brother.

"But that was three years ago," Sham said, "while you were staying peacefully in this village, we were not just doing anything."

Buchi added his thoughts in as well. "Yes. We have been invading many towns and sinking many pirate ships." The two of them brandished their claws as they stalked toward their former captain.

Suddenly, the two of them leaped forward, furious and every bit as spiteful as a cat that had its tail stepped on. Kuro slowly blinked and idly pushed his glasses up once more, not moving at all in the face of the assault.

"It's just that your plan isn't working! We won't let you kill us that easily!!" Sham screamed.

"It's been three years! Do you think you can defeat us Nyabun Brothers?"

"That's right! If those two work together, even Captain Jango can't defeat them!" Hanley heard the men behind her begin to stir with hope. It seems they were going to throw their lots in with the brothers.

Hanley examined Kuro's calm demeanor. They had a point: Kuro was out of action for three years, and that was a long time to let one's abilities grow slack.

'Maybe they'll kick his ass and take care most of the work for us? If they work together, they should be able to take care of him.' After all, teamwork did go a long way in taking down stronger enemies.

"You are not our captain anymore!" Buchi extended his claws forward.

"We better kill you, first!" The two stuck in unison, slashing away at the spot where Kuro stood; however, they were much too slow. It was difficult, but Hanley was _just_ able to follow Kuro's movements out of danger, leaving his case to take the brunt of the attack.

'I've...seen that before...Grandfather...Master Thai's done something just like that before!' The sudden acceleration was very familiar, and her eyes simply picked it up from sheer habit. She watched as Kuro slid on his gloves with massive metal claws and gracefully skid to a stop behind the two brothers, all without making a sound.

"You will kill...who?" Kuro may as well have been talking about the weather even as he exuded a menacing aura. Sham and Buchi seemed extremely reluctant to turn around, and Hanley couldn't really blame them.

A pirate gasped. "That's the 'Black Cat's Claws'..."

"Thank you Mr. Exposition, will you be here all day?" Hanley grumbled, her nervousness making her irritable. She was desperately trying to figure out how Kuro could have known that technique!

"What are those weapons?" Zoro's attention, unsurprisingly, was on the gloves Kuro wore. They, indeed, looked like giant paws of a black cat. However, the claws were simply ridiculous, reaching a good meter in length if she was calculating correctly. They were, in themselves, miniature swords on each of his fingers and thumbs. Hanley had no idea how he managed to use them without stabbing himself.

Then, Kuro was moving again, just as the Nyabun Brothers turned around to face him.

"You went to our back?" Sham was, again, too late, as Hanley watched as Kuro fell lightly from the sky and draped his arms around their shoulders. The gesture was almost friendly, if it weren't for the wicked blades placed at their necks.

"I feel my body...resisting." Kuro remarked idly, glasses glinting in the sunlight. His cadence and soft tone completely belied his demeanor. It was a psychosis worthy of a serial killer. Kuro's slicked back mane and prim style made it all the more jarring. "You are right, I am not your captain anymore. I am, however, someone who has paid you to do a job. If you can't do it...I will finish you."

Hanley certainly felt a little sorry for Buchi now--he was literally in tears from fright, and Sham wasn't much better.

Jango sighed. "You still hope for a miracle. 'Cat Claws' is a moving skill that makes no sense. You could bring fifty killers and they would be dead before they knew what hit them. We'll never get away with this plan."

'No, it makes plenty of sense--if you don't know how it works then, yeah, it looks ridiculous...but...'

It was all in the footwork. How many times had she watched Master Thai go about his day using something like this? For him, living on the mountain wasn't arduous, and the distances meant nothing to him. Not only could he jump ridiculously high, he was capable of sudden bursts of acceleration that made it look like he would simply disappear. Hanley remembered how awed she felt when she would watch him, and she still felt it to this day. Master Thai had taught her, himself, of course. Hanley had learned proper running technique: how to balance, how to push off the ground to lessen the strain in her joints and achieve higher speeds. She was never capable of what her grandfather could do, but she still got to be pretty damn fast...faster than Ace and Luffy, certainly.

But here Kuro was, using something extremely similar. It upset her a little, as she thought it was something special only her grandfather could do.

'More than that...' Hanley watched as Kuro's claws dug into the Nyabun's necks. 'I've read about it, too. Isn't that essentially Soru? I haven't been able to cross the barrier, yet...what is Kuro doing that lets him perform such a thing? What did Master Thai do? I'm missing something...'

"Five minutes. If you cannot defeat them within five minutes, I will kill everyone with my own hands." Kuro's expression was dark from bloodlust. He was certainly the sort of person to try.

"We don't want to die!" His crew screamed, nearly working themselves into a panic.

"Five minutes, we still a chance!" Jango still looked nervous, however.

Sham's voice was dripping with desperation. "That man and woman...if we can defeat them, we can get past this slope!"

"Even though I have finally known love, I don't want to die!" Buchi wasn't going to let a little thing like that keep him from killing her.

"Ugh, don't remind me..." Hanley shuddered and wished she could take a shower. Clearly, this was to be her lot in life, she had best get used to it.

"Zoro, your swords!" Unlike the rest of them, Nami hadn't simply been standing around. She had maneuvered herself into a position that allowed her to kick Zoro's swords high into the air. They flew over Hanley's head (what the fuck? Nami should consider joining a football team) and Zoro quickly moved to catch them.

"You kicked my swords??" He still couldn't let her ill treatment of them go, naturally. Nami smiled.

"How about a thank you?"

Hanley kept her eyes on Captain Kuro. "Zoro, you can take care of them both??"  
"Yes, I am prepared now." Zoro grinned savagely as he held his beloved blades. "Thanks." He clenched one blade in his teeth and prepared himself for the Nyabun Brother's charge. They certainly didn't disappoint, as they raced forward, driven by terror and overconfidence.

"That's not going to work! Even if you use three swords, it won't make you stronger!"

"Tch, you don't know anything. If I use three swords, then my skill will become complete." Zoro straightened his stance and placed the swords behind the blade in his mouth; the katana in his hands were tip downward and placed in such a way that they formed a neat right angle.

"W-We're counting on you, Nyabun Brothers! Finish them off in five minutes!" the Black Cat crew cheered.

"Kick ass, Mr. Zoro!" Hanley countered.

"Tora..." Zoro remained motionless as the Brothers drew closer. The moment before their claws descended, Zoro suddenly slashed forward and downward, "Gari!" The attack was successful, taking both of the Brothers down simultaneously.

Hanley whistled. "Maybe I should start naming some of my techniques..."

Both Buchi and Sham flew past him, blood trailing behind them like a banner. They landed with a crunch and were silent. Kuro didn't look perturbed at all, but Hanley was beginning to think he was some sort of sociopath so it probably wasn't anything new.

"He...He can defeat the Nyabun Brothers in one go?"

Hanley sighed and sent a glare to the group behind her. Now they were just getting repetitive!

Zoro pointed one of his katana at Kuro, clearly taunting him to fight. "Don't worry, I can defeat all of you in five minutes."

The proclamation caused Hanley to throw her hands up in exasperation. "Hey, don't forget about me, now!"

"I didn't. Like I said before, I'm going to pull my own weight. I need to redeem myself after such a shameful performance."

Kuro merely adjusted his glasses while he flexed his claws with his other hand. "Try it if you dare."

The sound of coughing drew Hanley's attention to Buchi, who was slowly picking himself off the ground. He was throwing up blood, but he still managed to survive Zoro's attack.

"This is crazy. I will kill him..."

"Oh? He's still alive? Have your blades dulled?" Kuro's voice was mocking and his mouth twisted into a smirk.

Buchi groaned and turned to Jango, unable to raise himself off his hands and knees. "Captain Jango, hypnotize me."

Thinking quickly, Hanley leaped forward, crossing the distance in two long strides. "Do you seriously think I'll let that happen??"

Buchi used the last of his strength to clamber to his feet and stagger back. "W-Wait!"

"One, two, Jango!"

Hanley raised her leg and kicked him as hard as she could across the face with her shin. He flew back into the cliff wall with a loud crash.

"Shit, was I too late?" Hanley waited anxiously for the dust to clear. She cautiously took a step forward and peered into the cloud.

"Yaaaaaah!" Buchi shot forward, claws extended. Hanley bent back at the waist, falling into a bridge to avoid the attack. Once it sailed harmlessly over her, she turned to face him, fists raised.

"What the hell??"

Buchi's body was now bursting with muscle. His once flabby stomach was now cut with defined abs, and biceps bulged as he flexed his arms. Veins stood out on his body as he roared again

"What are you doing??" Jango cried. Nami was moving again, this time towards Luffy.

"Wake up!" she screamed as Jango raised his ring and threw it like a chakram. "Everyone's risking their lives, yet you're still!"

Hanley was screaming herself. "Nami, look out!"

Nami turned and saw the ring heading straight for her. She twisted to face it, accidentally stepping on Luffy's face as she did so.

'There's no way I can get there in time! Dammit, if I just had Soru--'

Jango laughed. "Be cut into pieces!"

Luffy suddenly sprang up from the ground, angry. "It's you, Nami?? Why are you stepping on my--"

The chakram hit the back of his head and sank into his head.

"Hanuman!!"

Luffy started to pitch forward, but he used his leg to brace himself at the last moment.

Jango stumbled back. "He used his foot to stop it??"

Luffy slowly reached back and yanked the ring out of his head, unaware of the blood spraying from his wound. Nami was pale and wide eyed as he threw the ring away and shouted.

"Ouch!! That hurt!!"

Hanley let out a shaky laugh. "Of course, that's just how he is..."

"The kid woke up! We're in trouble now!"

"There's no way we can finish in five minutes!!"

Luffy ignored the panicking pirates and, instead, turned his attention to Nami. "That hurt, you know??"

"I didn't do anything!" Nami raised her hands defensively. The action caused her to pull at her injured shoulder and she fell to her knees in pain. Blood stained her white shirt.

"Ah, your shoulder is bleeding..."

"It's nothing, I'm fine. I've done my job, so you better take care of the rest. This fight...we can't lose!"

Hanley grinned in approval. "Well said, Nami..."

"You..." Luffy began, also looking impressed.

At least, until, Nami clenched her fists and gazed skyward in determination. "That's all because of the treasures!"

"What the fuck, Nami, I was moved!" Hanley shrieked. "And you better keep your hands off _my_ stuff!"

Luffy put his hat on his head and left Nami to her own devices. He could do nothing else. "What? The caretaker's here?"

"Nice of you to join us again, Hanuman!" called Hanley. Luffy grinned.

"What'd I miss, Hanley?"

Kuro wasn't paying them much mind. He calmly checked his watch.

"Three minutes and I kill you all."

"It's too short!" his crew sobbed, "it's impossible, even for Captain and Buchi-san!"

Jango pulled out two more rings. "Buchi, kill the swordsman and the woman! There's no time left! I'll take care of this kid."

Hanley slid into a fighting stance. "Here it comes, Mr. Zoro!"

"Right." Zoro began to raise his sword but Usopp's shout caused him to look behind him.

Hanley followed the surprised gazes to see Kaya standing on the path leading to the village. She looked very weak in the early morning light, dressed only in a thin nightgown and overcoat. However, her voice could be heard by everyone down the hill. "Kurahadol! Stop everything!"

Kuro's eyebrows raised and he turned to face her.

Usopp was nearly beside himself. "Kaya, what are you doing here??"

Jango paused in his attack. "Isn't that the girl from the mansion?? The goal of this plan??" The other pirates looked relieved, thinking they might be spared.

"So we don't have to go to the village--as long as we kill that girl..."

"What a surprise, Kaya-Oujosama." Kuro had seemed to slip into his butler persona once more as he gazed at her. "Why are you here?"

"I heard everything from Meri," Kaya said, voice shaky.

"Oh, Meri? So he's still alive! I thought I already finished him."

'Not surprising, you psycho!'

Kaya flinched at his words and trembled. "Usopp-san...I'm sorry. Anyway, you won't forgive me. I didn't believe you when you said that Kurahadol was a pirate..."

"Don't worry about that now! Why have you come here!" Usopp was trying to struggle to his feet, but his head injury made even that much nearly impossible. "Don't you realize they want to kill you??"

"But you're fighting, aren't you?? Even though we treated you badly, you're still fighting for us, even injured!"

"I told you: I'm a brave warrior of the sea!"

Kaya faced Kuro once more. "Kurahadol! If you want my treasure, I will give it to you! But you must leave the island!"

Kuro didn't answer for several long moments. Then he sighed and shook his head. "You misunderstand, Kaya-Ojousama. I do want your money, but I also want a peaceful life. The villagers trusted me for three years. My plan will only succeed when I acquire both your riches and peace. So, I need your death and your will. These things are essential."

Kaya froze, stunned. Usopp tried his best to get her to move.

"Run, Kaya! Talking to him won't change his mind! He isn't the caretaker you used to know!!"

Instead, Kaya whipped out a flintlock.

Hanley couldn't help but be impressed. "Wow, or, she could try that." She doubted Kaya would be able to hit him, but it took guts to point a gun at someone.

"Leave this village!" Kaya ordered, a hint of steel in her once weak voice.

Kuro spoke calmly, "You've grown stronger these past three years. Do you remember? Many things happened in those three years. Since you lost your parents, we've been together everyday."

The psychological attack was proving to be highly effective. Kaya's flintlock slowly, but surely, began to lower as he spoke.

"We went sailing together. We went to town together," Kuro continued, "and when you were sick, I was the one to take care of you. We were happy and sad together. I've tried very hard to do everything for you. I've spent years doing these stupid things, and I have been very patient."

Kaya's face crumpled and the gun in her hands began to shake, lowering to the point the muzzle wasn't even pointed at Kuro anymore. Her shoulders shook and Hanley could see her quivering lips from where she stood at the base of the slope.

"That son of a bitch...how could he..." Hanley growled. It was obvious Kaya loved him very much, but to throw it back into her face like that was the worst!

Kuro's calm voice lowered into a snarl. "Everything that I have done is for today...the day that I will kill you." The statement was enough to send Kaya into tears, but Kuro continued twisting the knife with a sadistic glee. "I used to be Captain Kuro, but I have to pretend to be good to the stupid girl that doesn't know anything! I've had to be very patient--don't you understand those boring days that I've had to suffer through?"

The flintlock fell from her now weak grasp. It clattered on the ground as Kaya tried to stifle her sobs.

'That spiteful bastard--'

"YOU!!" Usopp leaped at Kuro, concussion forgotten and fist pulled back for a punch. "KURO!!"

Kuro idly tilted his head. "Usopp. I still have some business with you." Kuro easily dodged the clumsy punch and appeared behind Usopp, claws spread. "You did hit me...very hard!"

Both Hanley and Zoro started forward to save Usopp's life, but both were much too far away. Out of the corner of her eye, Hanley saw Luffy's fist shoot past her and zero in on Kuro's face. It hit with a resounding crack, sending Kuro flat on his back.

"That was close, Hanuman!" Hanley breathed and placed a hand over her heart.

"What is that??" Jango screamed as the other crew members expressed their own shock.

"Captain Kuro's been hit!!"

Luffy retracted his arm, still holding his shoulder to brace for the return impact. "If you don't like to be hit, I will hit you a hundred times."

"He hit Captain Kuro from that far a distance??"

Kuro hadn't moved from where he landed, and the silence was slowly becoming menacing. He certainly must be angry, now.

"NOW!" three shrill voices cried from the distance. Hanley groaned. No, those kids wouldn't--

"The Usopp Pirate Crew is coming!"

"Prepare yourself!"

"Bastard butler!" The three boys fell on Kuro, makeshift weapons flying as they hit him repeatedly. Hanley covered her mouth with a hand, sure she was going to witness a murder in the next few seconds.

'Those stupid children!!'

"Why are you here??" cried Usopp.

Kaya was even more upset than before. "I told you not to come!"

However, the three boys weren't listening, continuing to beat Kuro with their pots and shovels.

"Let's get him!"

"Don't take our peace from us!"

"Die!"

"That's enough!" Usopp roared, "Get out of here, all of you!" Finally, _finally_, they stopped, and Kuro had yet to move. Despite that, Hanley doubted they'd did any major damage to him. The boys certainly thought they were successful, as they began to yell at Usopp for lying to them.

"That's dirty, Captain!" Piiman exclaimed while Ninjin and Tamanegi nodded in agreement.

"It doesn't matter! You have to escape now!"

"No way! We won't run away!"

Tamanegi brandished his shovel. "Usopp's pirates shouldn't run away!"

Every one of them froze when Kuro slowly got to his feet.

Piiman, Ninjin, and Tamanegi screamed and fell back as Kuro's gaze fixed upon them. He carefully adjusted his broken glasses with the heel of his hand and walked past, dismissing them. Kuro paused by Usopp and suddenly, violently, kicked him in the gut, sending him crashing to the side.

"Captain!"

"Usopp-san!" Kaya cried when he rolled to a stop.

Kuro rolled his shoulders and addressed Luffy. "It hurt a little bit. That's a strange skill. You got that skill from a Devil's Fruit, am I right?"

"Right. I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi and became a rubber man!" Luffy cracked his knuckles for emphasis.

One of them behind her muttered, "I thought it was a myth--"

Hanley glared at them and snapped. "Yes, yes, you thought it was a myth but it's not and that's why he's strange. _Stay quiet from now on_."

The men immediately shut their mouths.

Hanley scratched her head. "Geez, what a peanut gallery..."

"Jango!" Kuro ordered. "I will kill that kid. You take care of Kaya-Ojousama. Make sure she writes the will according to our plan. After that, kill her. Oh, by the way, kill those three worms, too."

Jango adjusted his hat and bowed his head. "Roger." He started walking up the hill, only to have Hanley and Zoro block his path.

Zoro held out a katana. "Stop right there."

"I wouldn't take another step." Hanley warned.

Jango growled. "Buchi, kill them!"

The remaining Nyabun Brother roared and jumped high into the air. "Cat Stomp!!!"

"What is that technique??" Zoro exclaimed. He and Hanley quickly threw themselves to the side, just as Buchi came down on the spot they were standing. The technique itself was very simple, only consisting of a modified drop kick that used the force of gravity to increase its effectiveness. The power, however, was incredible. The boom was nearly deafening, and the ground was utterly destroyed as Buchi created a deep crater in the rock.

"Are you serious??" Hanley shrieked as she flipped into a crouch. Zoro, however, simply went flying. That wasn't the end of it, as Hanley found herself dodging small boulders as the east cliff also shattered from Buchi's attack.

"Is he human?" Luffy wondered, awed. Buchi chose to attack Zoro first, swiping at him with a loud cry. Zoro just managed to bring one of his swords up to block; he crashed painfully into the opposite cliff face. It was fortunate, as it gave him the leverage to keep Buchi at bay.

"I defeated you once, so I won't lose!" Zoro kicked him away. He looked up the slope and saw Jango was already nearing the top. "Dammit, he's getting away!"

"I got him!" Hanley sprinted after him. How he managed to sneak past she'll never know, but she wasn't going to let him do what he wanted.

"I'll keep this guy busy!"

"Good!"

Kuro raised an eyebrow. "And what do you think you're doing?"

Jango started in panic and threw one of his rings. "Don't get in my way!"

"That's my line!" Hanley used the scales on her arm to knock the chakram into the ground, not even breaking her pace.

"What??"

'I can't believe these things are really coming in handy!'

"You disappoint me, Jango." Kuro smoothly moved around his first mate and intercepted Hanley's dash.

'Here he is!!' Hanley spotted his the claws on his left hand coming up on her right side. She dropped to the ground, using her hands as a pivot to perform a sweep kick, only to have Kuro nimbly jump over her leg and try to stab her from above. Hanley rolled out of the way and jumped back to put some distance between them.

"Hm." If Kuro was surprised she was able to keep up with him, he wasn't showing it. "I see I'll have to kill you as well."

"Usopp's Pirates!" Usopp seized upon the distraction that Hanley was providing.

"Aye, Captain!" Ninjin answered.

Piiman interrupted. "We won't run away!"

"You have to protect Kaya!" Usopp weakly raised his arm, unable to pick himself up anymore.

Kaya sniffled. "Usopp-san..."

"I would like to give you the most important task! You have to take Kaya to a safe place!" His tone sharpened. "Don't tell me you can't do it! This is a captain's order!"

"A-Aye!" The three boys cried.

Piiman grabbed Kaya's hand while his friends followed. "We have to go!"

Jango twirled his chakram. "You think that I will let you get away?" He reached back to fling his weapons, but Usopp was one step ahead of him, firing off a marble from his slingshot even while on his back. It struck Jango in the spine and he bowed over in pain. It was just enough to let Kaya and the boys escape into the thick forests surrounding the path.

"Gotcha...haha..." Usopp gasped.

Kuro was unsympathetic as he yelled. "JANGO, HURRY UP AND GO AFTER THEM!"

"R-Roger!" Jango disappeared into the woods.

Kuro raised an eyebrow and addressed Usopp. "Your plan isn't going to work. I know that Kaya is very weak; she can't escape from Jango. If you want to help her, you can..." a slight smile appeared on his face. "but, you have to survive, first!"

Usopp rolled onto his stomach. "Dammit, the tables have turned already..."

"Usopp, leave it to us." Zoro commanded, shouldering his blade.

"This'll be easy, right, Hanuman?" Hanley shifted her weight to the balls of her feet.

Luffy nodded. "Yup!"

There was a series of loud crashing noises coming from the forest. Hanley's brow furrowed and she risked glancing to the side. She thought she saw several tree tops falling.

"What was that??" Usopp wondered, worried.

"It sounds like Jango is losing his temper. Go ahead and look if you want, but it's probably too late." Kuro told him.

Zoro readied his weapons. "I suppose that means we can hurry up ourselves."

"If you think you can."

Usopp shook his head. "You've lived with her for three years! Don't you feel anything for her at all??"

Kuro's face turned disdainful. "No! I've already told you that Kaya was just part of the plan! If she doesn't die after all this, I just might thank her."

"Don't bother, Usopp! Guys like this can't be reasoned with!" Hanley advised.

"As if I was gonna reason with him!" added Luffy.

Usopp surprised them all by surging forward and running towards the woods.

'How is he doing that?? He's really something!'

"Ho, you can still move?" Kuro sounded mocking as Usopp staggered up the hill. Buchi suddenly attacked, diving forward to tackle him.

Zoro was even faster, however, stopping him by placing a sword to his neck. He quickly kicked out Buchi's legs from under him and threw him onto the ground, ending with holding the edge of a katana to the other's throat. "You've caused enough trouble! If you shut up and listen to me, I'll think about letting you live!"

It was all for naught, as Usopp collapsed the next moment. "Dammit! I can't move!"

Kuro burst out into laughter. "This is hilarious! It would be best if you played dead! You couldn't beat Jango, anyway!"

"Even though I can't win, I'll fight anyway! I have to protect them!"

"Hn?"

Luffy's lips quivered slightly; Hanley knew him well enough to know he was beyond moved. She couldn't say she was unaffected, either. Strength like that didn't come to her easily, and to see Usopp with it...

"What an amazing kid."

Kuro threw her an amused glance. "Ha! Don't make me laugh."

"Shut up, Kuro! You've yet to finish us off, you realize."

"Indeed. Shall I remedy that?"

"'If you can.'" Hanley taunted. She was distracted by Buchi's arm shooting up and knocking Zoro off his massive torso. Even though he was on the ground, the swipe as still powerful enough to send Zoro right back into the rock wall.

"I am Captain Usopp, the greatest pirate to sail the seven seas!" Usopp declared, even with his face in the dirt. "I won't let you touch this village!"

The Black Cat crew below seemed to have forgotten her warning earlier as they began to laugh and point at Usopp's fallen body.

"Look at him! He's worse than a dog!"

"Ahaha! It makes you want to cry--oh my God!" They scrambled to safety as Luffy grabbed a boulder and threw it at them. His face was a mask of fury as he addressed them.

"Who dares laugh at Usopp? I will kill him."

"Scary, scary..." Hanley whispered, impressed. For that one moment, he really didn't look like a kid. It was the first time Hanley really associated him with being a man. Well, now wasn't the time to be thinking about that.

Buchi attacked again, stopping short when Zoro blocked him.

"Buchi! I already warned you not to interrupt me! Are you deaf or stupid!" Zoro snarled, temper also flaring to new heights. He ducked his head and slashed at Buchi with all three blades. "Get out of my way!"

Buchi let out a high pitched yowl as he crashed into the ground. This time, he didn't get back up. Zoro sheathed his swords and stepped around the body to pick Usopp off the ground. He adjusted his grip and turned to Luffy.

"Luffy, I'm taking Usopp and going after the other bastard! You got a problem with that?"

"Not at all, just go!" Luffy ordered.

"Aye-aye." Zoro finally just slung Usopp over his shoulder.

"I'm...sorry..." Usopp croaked.

"It's slower this way, but I don't know my way around the forest. I need you or I'll get lost."

Kuro raised his claws as they started past. "Hey, you, who told you could leave?"

"I do believe our captain just ordered it." Hanley snapped her fingers to gain his attention. "Perhaps you're hard of hearing?"

"Go, Zoro!" Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Pistol suddenly shot forward at Kuro's face. Kuro blinked in surprise and leaned backward, watching as the fist flew by.

"Be careful, Hanuman! He's very agile!" Hanley made sure Zoro and Usopp were in the clear before pressing her attack as well. Her elbow strike missed him by a hair as he twisted away.

"Where did he go?" Luffy cried.

'That's right, he's never experienced this before!'

"Hanuman, behind!"

"I know!" Luffy rolled forward and barely avoided evisceration. He braced his hands on the ground and placed the soles of his feet together to form a spear. "Take this!"

Kuro dodged that as well, but Hanley had counted on his evading and appeared beside him. She hopped to gain momentum and brought her knee towards her chest.

"Dragon Kick!" Her side kick missed as well, going right through the tree behind him. Kuro seemed to glide back and settled on the ground.

"Oh, that was catchy, Hanley."

"You think so? I feel a little weird just calling shit out like that."

Kuro examined them briefly before straightening. "Before we begin...I'd like to ask you something."

"What's that?" Luffy hopped on his feet, impatient to start.

"Why do you risk your lives protecting this pathetic village?"

"Because there's someone in this village that I don't want hurt."

Hanley sneered at Kuro. "Besides, what do you care? You're a sociopath!"

"Heh, is that so? Are you two sure about that? That's the reason you're willing to die for?"

Luffy wound his arm back. "We won't be the ones dying!"

"How arrogant!" Kuro held out his arms and waited; unlike Buchi, he was smart enough to watch both his opponents.

"You can follow him, right?" Luffy asked.

Hanley nodded. "Yeah, I can." Barely, but she could.

"If you think you'll win because of that, you are sorely mistaken!" Kuro's face twisted into a mad grin. "I'll enjoy ripping you apart!"

"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" Luffy started things off with his signature punch. Kuro's smile grew wider.

Hanley cursed. "Hanuman, he's going to dodge that!"

"What?" Luffy started to pull back, but it was too late.

Kuro crouched briefly and easily cleared the arm. He landed lightly on Luffy's outstretched limb and pushed his glasses up.

"I do hope, for your sakes, that's not all you have to offer. Let's have some fun!" He sprinted down Luffy's arm in the blink of an eye. Hanley was already moving and jumped into the air. Kuro flipped to the side to avoid her flying roundhouse kick. Hanley landed on Luffy's shoulder.

"Sorry, Hanuman!" she pushed off to follow his descent. It was a bad idea, as Kuro suddenly used his powerful legs to stop and change direction, right towards her. Hanley gasped and immediately brought up her arms to block the blades.

'Shit, that was stupid! This will hurt!' She squeaked when she felt Luffy's hands on her waist and yank her back out of harm's way.

Kuro was even faster than she estimated, as he pushed his assault and took advantage of Luffy having his hands full. His kick landed on Luffy's jaw with a sick crunch, and both Luffy and Hanley were sent flying right back down the slope. Luffy landed flat on his back while Hanley managed to twist and land awkwardly on her elbows and knees. If it weren't for scales, she'd have been scraped raw.

Luffy placed a hand on his jaw and pushed it back into place. "Bastard, you broke my jaw!"

"I'm sorry, Hanuman!" Hanley shook her head, knowing whose fault it was that he got hit.

"Don't mind! Damn this bastard!"

Seeing that Kuro had the upper hand for the moment, his former crew began cheering wildly.

"Captain Kuro the Great!"

"No one's beaten the captain before!"

"They're good, but he's better!"

"Captain Kuro! No mercy--!!"

Kuro snapped. "SILENCE!! I told you not to call me by that name anymore!!"

Once again, they fell silent.

"Do you understand now? This entire scheme is to erase Captain Kuro from this world! I am so sick and tired of taking care of my idiot crew!" Kuro continued, "I achieved fame, every pirates' dream! It sounds good, but in the end it only causes trouble. Marines, pirate hunters...it wasn't worth it. It's why I killed myself three years ago."

"Killed himself? What is he talking about?" Hanley leaned back onto her knees, confused at his choice of words.

"All that hard work to erase my existence...hypnotizing a crew member to take my identity, hypnotizing a marine to take him in! This carefully constructed plan was all so that I may lead a peaceful, and rich, life. My plans won't be foiled by the likes of you!" Kuro attacked again, one hand outstretched to slice them to pieces. Luffy hurriedly grabbed one of the boulders loosened from Buchi's earlier attack and lifted it, just in time to catch Kuro's claws.

"Good thinking, Hanuman!"

"I see stretching isn't your only talent, boy!" Kuro snarled and futilely tugged his arm. Hanley moved to attack his open side, forcing Kuro to break his claws to escape.

"You said you were tired?" Luffy asked, still holding the boulder. He suddenly threw it, catching Kuro on the temple. "If you don't want to be famous, then, don't become a pirate!"

Kuro slowly picked himself off the ground, temple gushing with blood and decidedly unamused. His crew saw this and started to encourage him, still unable to see that Kuro could really care less.

"You still have the other side, let's get them, Captain Kuro!"

"Wait, he doesn't want us to call him that anymore."

"Then..Kura-something? Go, Kura-san!"

"I told you to shut up." Kuro hissed. "I also planned to kill you all as well, including Jango."

Hanley stared at him in utter horror.

'He doesn't care. He'll just slaughter anyone!...'

"Why do you have to kill us??" someone shouted. Hanley looked behind her to see many of the ones still able to move were slowly backing away.

"W-Wait, you're joking, right? We can still make it to the village!"

"Besides, if Captain Jango can make that girl write the will, your plan will succeed anyway.

Kuro looked unhinged now. The blow to the head seemed to knock something loose--not that he wasn't crazy to begin with.

"You don't have to worry about the plan. If some of you die here, the plan will be more realistic." He ignored their stricken faces and tilted his head to the side. "I've never thought of letting you go in the first place. If I let anyone know that I'm still alive, I will be in trouble soon."

"You planned to kill us all along??"

Kuro chuckled. "Yes, I have thought of that since I was Captain Kuro three years ago!"

"You're crazy," Luffy said, scowling furiously, "you really are an uncool pirate."

"'Uncool'? Pirates are a group of outlaws driven from society. If I don't have a plan, you think I could keep them in order? As long as they follow my orders, that is enough for me."

Hanley was completely disgusted. "It says a lot about your capabilities that you have to resort to fear and plans in the first place!"

Kuro only looked bored with her. "You truly believe that? At your age? Crew are nothing but pawns to their captain. No matter what the task may be, the crew have to fight...even if it means risking their lives for me. That's the way pirates are!! People like you don't know anything, so be quiet!!"

Logically, Hanley understood where Kuro was coming from. It didn't surprise her that there were captains and leaders that thought this way. But still, to say those things in front of his own crew made it a little hard to watch. Luffy considered Kuro's words, looking back and forth between the former captain and crew.

"Although you have a large crew," he said, finally, "you can't defeat Usopp." Even Hanley stared at him after that statement.

For once, Kuro was caught off balance, his eyes widening briefly before he snarled. "What did you say? You say that I am weaker than that low class pirate?"

"Yes."

Silence fell before Kuro threw back his head and laughed. Hanley coughed.

"Uh, I don't follow."

"Because it's ridiculous!" Kuro snickered. "You've only destroyed one half of my weapon! Don't get happy so soon!" He was back on the offensive again, jumping high to land at Luffy's back.

"Hanuman!" Hanley warned.

Luffy clutched his right shoulder. "It's your brain!" He twisted and backhanded Kuro across the cheek. "You don't know the meaning of being a true pirate!"

Kuro was thrown to the side, only stopping once he slammed head first into a boulder.

"It took a bit, but I think I got it, Hanley." Luffy cracked his knuckles while Hanley gaped at him.

"Oh, well, that's good." It would be one less thing for her to worry about. Still, to pick up on it so fast...well, Luffy certainly had a gift.

Kuro emerged from the rubble a moment later. He was bleeding profusely from his head wounds, to the point his face was practically covered in it.

"If you really want to know the true pirate way, I'll teach you." With that cryptic message, his shoulders slumped and he began to sway back and forth, arms hanging limply at his sides. "The real power of a pirate who has fought in many wars..."

"What's he doing?" muttered Luffy.

Hanley shrugged helplessly. "I dunno, but--hey, you! What's he doing??" Hanley asked the pirate closest to her. The poor man looked horrible, and he jumped when he found himself the focus of her attention.

"It's horrible! He only uses that technique when there's a lot of people! We'll all die!"

"That doesn't tell me anything!" Unfortunately, they were far too panicked to be of any more use. The men began to sob and beg for their lives as Kuro's swaying grew more fluid.

"But he hasn't even done anything yet," Luffy pointed out, although it fell on deaf ears.

"Shakushi!" Kuro called out.

And he vanished.

Hanley's eyes widened and she looked around frantically. "Where did he go?? He's moving too fast!"

'He was already fast before! This is ridiculous! How is he doing this??'

"You lost him, too?" Luffy was a bit calmer, more confused than unsettled.

"There's a murderous sociopath after our blood and we can't see him, aren't you a little worried??"

"Ah--"

A horrible, blood curdling scream echoed through the air as one of the pirates seemed to erupt in a shower of blood. Hanley could see four gruesome slashes across his chest as he fell. His comrades began to scream in earnest as they were mowed down by an unseen force.

"The wall, too??" Luffy shouted when four diagonal gashes appeared in the remainders of the east cliff.

'I have to find him. Calm down, Master Thai has moved this fast before, I just need to concentrate--'

More men fell victim to the flurry of attacks. The coastline was quickly becoming drenched in blood as they begged for mercy.

'How, how...if I can just see him...'

"We're getting cut into pieces! Please stop!!"

"This technique requires high speed, he won't stop until he's tired!!"

"Just try to avoid it--"

"Help us--"

The sound of rapid footsteps to her left side reached her ears. Hanley quickly looked at the area, senses straining.

'What did Master Thai say? What did the scroll say? Feel it out, open your mind--' Kuro was a black smudge now, but he was visible. Hanley concentrated her gaze on his feet. 'Look at how he places his feet on the ground; look at the angle of his ankles to his foot, his knee to his hips.' Hanley experimentally tapped the ground with her foot. If she could figure it out she could at least catch him and stop this bloodbath--

Luffy's enraged roar broke her concentration. "SHOW YOURSELF TO ME!!" Hanley had never seen him so furious before! It made his earlier demeanor look cheerful compared to the rage he was showing now. "WHO DO YOU THINK YOUR CREW ARE??"

"Hanuman..." Hanley nearly choked when she saw cuts begin to appear on his arms and legs. Luffy didn't seem to notice, but her vision slowly began to turn red.

Hanley heard Kuro again, only coming from right in front of her. He was clear to her now, moving so quickly everyone else was in slow motion. She could see just how out of control he was. His claws were moving erratically, unable to make a consistent slash because his eyes were unable to follow his own movements.

There wasn't exactly a light-bulb, but Hanley could feel herself light up as something finally clicked into place.

'I understand, now...Soru.'

Hanley thought of running away, but Kuro had to be stopped. She took a step and quickly transferred her energy to her feet. She imagined the ground being made out of some sort of elastic material, and as her feet connected they would bounce off and propel her forward. Kuro was making another wide sweep along the right side, cutting up two more unfortunate crew members. Hanley was in front of him, moving so fast she shocked herself. Kuro never saw her coming.

Hanley reached forward, ignoring the claws slashing at her arms and side. The blades scraped against her scales and cut open the unprotected flesh of her under arms and stomach.

'Shitshitshit that hurts!!'

"Hanley!"

"I'm fine!" she assured. More importantly, she got her target. Hanley seized Kuro by the lapels of his coat and was dragged along by his powerful legs until she managed to swing him around using his own momentum.

Kuro looked stunned. "How--"

"I guess I should say 'thanks'...Soru." Hanley threw him into the ground with as much strength as she could muster. His neck and skull connected with a loud crack, and the rest of his body slumped onto the ground. Hanley staggered back and placed a hand over the cut on her stomach. It was pretty superficial, but it hurt like crazy!

'Please be knocked out, please be knocked out...that Soru took a lot out of me...'

"You seem to have caught me...aren't you the copy cat?" Kuro slowly picked himself up. No such luck on that front.

Hanley groaned. "Enough with the cat stuff already..."

"You seem tired, woman. I should return the favor!"

Hanley instinctively brought her arms up to guard--the reflex most likely saved her life. Instead of her neck, the blades caught her across her forearms. Kuro put his entire weight behind the strike this time, and the blades finally cut through her scales and into her skin and scraped against her bones. She tried not to scream, tried to have at least a fraction of Luffy's and Zoro's tolerance for pain because, dammit, she was determined not to fall behind, but the pain seemed to take over her mind. She could barely register being thrown back onto the ground. Hanley gasped and clutched at her arms as if she was trying to stem the blood flow. Her magatama was now burning on her collarbone.

'A bit too late for that, don't you think??'

"If you had stayed put, your death could have been quicker, woman. And look, because of you, my beloved crew are suffering." Kuro still looked arrogant despite everything. His men were moaning and writhing in agony on the ground.

"Maybe...but you forgot something..." Hanley said, wincing.

"Oh?"

"YOU--" Luffy was hardly slow himself, and while Kuro spent his time gloating, Luffy was able to catch up to the two of them. Hanley was gratified to look over Kuro's shoulder and see a red faced, wild eyed Luffy leaping at Kuro's back. Kuro had completely forgotten about him, having dismissed him earlier like he did with everyone else. He started to perform his Cat's Claws technique again, but Luffy used his own, rubbery body to tie him into place. His arms twined around Kuro's and his legs wrapped around the other's waist.

Hanley sighed in relief. "Haha...I think this is where I say 'Best husband ever.'"

"I will never be a pirate like you!!" Luffy bit out, head butting Kuro in the jaw.

Kuro managed to stay conscious, somehow. "Get off of me!"

"Your plans of three years have failed!" Luffy threw his head forward, catching Kuro in the jaw again, only this time it was to get the momentum needed to extend his neck back; his head nearly reached the coastline.

"My plan...my plan will never fail!!!"

"Gomu Gomu no Kane!!" Luffy's head snapped back and crashed into Kuro's face. Kuro's face was pulverized from impact and his body nearly bent in half from the sheer velocity of the blow. The two of them fell back; Hanley was positive Kuro wasn't going to be regaining consciousness anytime soon. Luffy caught himself on his descent, leaving Kuro's body to collapse to the ground, motionless.

"Captain Kuro's been...defeated?" Some of the men were aware enough to watch the rest of the fight.

"Th-That's impossible! Who are you??"

'Does it even matter?' Hanley fell back and laughed softly; she could now that the pain had dulled from "incapacitating" to a mere, "on fire."

"My name is Monkey D. Luffy! I will never lose to a pirate that leaves behind the sea! A pirate only leaves his name behind only when he dies!"

The pirate crew looked at each other. "Luffy? I've never heard of that..."

"Remember my name for the rest of your lives! I will be the one to become the greatest pirate in the world!!"

The Black Cat Pirates looked properly awed at his declaration. Hanley couldn't blame them; she felt a little awed herself and she knew him!

'He's cuts a dashing figure, doesn't he?' Hanley closed her eyes, exhausted. 'Hanuman...you really are a man, aren't you? Despite everything...'

"Greatest pirate...is he crazy??"

"Take this back!" Hanley cracked open her eyes to see Luffy tossing Kuro's limp form as far as he could. "Don't ever come back again!" He shouted as the mobile members picked up their casualties and sprinted to their ship.

'Can it even move with the stem gone? I don't care...' Hanley must have dozed off briefly, as she jumped a bit when she heard Luffy plop onto the ground beside her.

"Hanley, you okay?"

"Yeah, just tired...you tired?"

Luffy smiled. "I got him with your help, you know." He slumped onto his back and let out a pained sigh.

"Hn? I just kept him still for a few seconds. In the end, I..." Hanley trailed off momentarily. "Hanuman, I wonder...will there ever be a time where I won't have to be saved? I'm so unsatisfied..."

"What're you saying stupid stuff for? Right after we won?" Luffy raised his hand and lightly tapped her on the head. Hanley chuckled.

"Maybe..."

"You two okay??" Hanley raised her head to see Nami approach with a sack of what had to be stolen treasure.

"Nami? Where the hell did you come from?"

"I was watching from up there until now." Nami pointed to the pirate ship. "It was too dangerous down here, you know."

"Oh, I see."

"You're very good, now that I got the chance to watch you." Nami settled beside them, waiting patiently for them to regain their energy. "Luffy, I'm curious. What upset you earlier?"

Luffy frowned as he stared up into the sky. "I hate them. They were mislead."

"...What are you saying? That's how pirates always are. Just because you're different doesn't make that any less true." Nami held up his straw hat and placed it on his chest.

"I want some meat."

"What the...honestly!"

Hanley snickered. "You're surprised, Nami? Hell, I want some meat, too."

"See, Hanley? I knew you'd come around!" Luffy sounded cheerful.

"I never minded meat, Hanuman, I just wasn't obsessed with it like some people I can name."

"Shishishi!"

*

Hanley couldn't decide if she was sorry to be leaving land and civilization so soon. She had half-halfheartedly suggested that they consider staying in Syrup that night to recuperate, but in the end they came to the conclusion it might be best if they simply left as soon as possible. Usopp had left them earlier to see Kaya and the boys home, and by the time the rest of them got the energy to head back to the village, it was only 730 in the morning. The innkeeper didn't ask why they were bloody and covered in filth; he took one look at their bedraggled appearance and quietly let them use his facilities to clean up.

"Well, so much for this shirt..." Hanley sighed and chucked what was left of the garment into the trash can. At this rate she was going to run out of clothes before the month was out.

"The boys have already gone to the tavern next door," Nami said as she wrung out excess water from her hair.

"What? Already?" It's only been, what, twenty minutes? Hanley huffed a little and began binding her knees and feet. Her recently acquired Soru was still very unrefined, and her sloppiness caused her ankles and knees to throb the more she walked on them. Still, with some practice she would be able to adjust to running at high speeds.

"How are your wounds?"

Hanley lifted one of her arms. "Oh, these? They're already on the mend. I just had to soak them in salt water. Is your shoulder okay?"

Nami ignored her question in favor of making a face. "_Salt _water?"

"Yeah, I dunno, I found out a couple years ago I could speed up the healing process with water. Fresh water works, but salt water seems to be best...luckily for me they were clean cuts."

"Lucky...right." Nami muttered something under her breathe before smiling. "You almost done?"

"You didn't have to wait, you know." Hanley tugged a plain, black tank top over her head. She grabbed her satchel and followed Nami out the bathroom door.

"I don't mind. I just got done a little bit ago."

They entered the tavern and quickly spotted Luffy and Zoro trying to eat their respective weights in food. The table was laden with dishes, leading Hanley to wonder if they just got a bit of everything. Luffy looked up and waved a rack of meat.

"You were taking too long so we ordered. You like shrimp for breakfast, right?"

Hanley blinked in surprise. "Yeah, I do. Thanks. Scoot over for me, will ya?"

"What a morning. I'm glad everything turned out well." Nami happily gave her sack of treasure a loving pat. After the night and morning they had, it was absolutely heavenly to unwind over a cup of tea. Hanley ate more than she remembered eating in a long time; in addition to tea, she drank several large tankards of water to dull the pain in her arms.

"You're like a camel," Zoro noted as she finished.

Hanley rolled her eyes. "I think that's even worse than a demon hag."

Luffy choked and began to dig around his throat, easily stretching his mouth and throat until he finally pulled out a bizarrely intact fish skeleton.

"Phew! I finally got it! If you don't train yourself well enough, you're going to choke yourself with fish bone."

"Luffy, normal people don't eat the fish bone," Nami sighed as she pushed her plate to the side.

"Well, we've eaten," said Zoro, "shall we go?"

"Yup, all done." Luffy spat out a stray fish bone and made to climb over Hanley to exit the booth.  
Hanley pushed on his shoulder. "You can wait a second, you know!" She looked up briefly when she heard the front door opening and quickly did a double take when she saw the person stepping inside.

"Oh, hi, Ojousama!" Luffy greeted cheerfully.

Hanley hadn't expected to see the girl again; she was sure Kaya would be at her home, resting from what happened a couple of hours ago. However, Kaya appeared to be very healthy--pale, still, but her eyes were bright and she smiled at them happily.

"I'm glad I caught you."

Nami seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Hanley. "Are you fine without taking a rest?"

"I'm fine. My illness was caused by the stress of losing my parents. Because of Usopp-san, I think I will try harder to recover." Kaya brightened. "Anyway, you told me that you wanted a ship, right?"

"You're going to give us a ship??" Luffy eagerly stepped over Hanley and started to make his way out the door. "That's great! We have to see it!"

"Hanuman, don't leave until you at least know where you're going!" Hanley quickly grabbed her satchel and followed him.

"We better catch up. Sorry about this, Kaya," apologized Nami. The heiress laughed softly and shook her head.

"No, it's fine. I can't thank you all enough. Oh! I'll come back to pay for them!" Kaya called to the tavern owner as she followed the group out the door.

Surprisingly enough, Luffy was actually headed in the right direction. Kaya lead them to the shore where they had made their stand just that morning. There were obvious signs of battle along the slope--Hanley wondered just what the villagers would think when they saw it.

More importantly, however, was the ship currently anchored at the coastline.

"It's a caravel!" Nami exclaimed happily. Hanley slowly nodded as she examined the ship. Caravels weren't really used nowadays, but Hanley had salvaged a fair share of them back in Green Harbor. As ships went they typically weren't very large or powerful, but they made up for that with their quickness and maneuverability.

Hanley found her smile growing as she thought about it. "They're a very versatile type of ship. This is perfect." Their new ship was a two-masted model, with the main mast rigged with a square sail, while the mizzenmast was set up with the triangular shaped lateen rig. It was a little on the small side, probably around thirty meters in length; it had a canon facing froward from the bow as well as one positioned broadside on the stern. The best part of the ship was the figurehead, which was a ram's head with round eyes and a wide smile.

Adorable.

There was a thin man standing before the caravel, who, Hanley thought, closely resembled the figurehead on the bow. His hair even resembled lamb's fleece, and there were small horns on his head. Hanley wondered if that was done on purpose.

Meri, as Kaya called him, gave them a friendly smile. "Welcome! This ship is my own design. It may look a little old, but it will be very reliable. I call it the 'Going Merry.'"

"Cool! The Going Merry!" Luffy dashed up to take a closer look, followed by the rest of them. Kaya was practically beaming, happy that they loved the gift.

"You're the ones who defeated the Black Cat Pirates?" Meri looked a little confused as he examined them. "I thought there would be more..."

"You'll really give this ship to us??"

Kaya laughed and nodded. "Yes, please, take it!"

Meri cleared his throat and approached Luffy. "Excellent, now, I'll explain how to steer it. As you can see, the rudder is positioned in the middle, so you'll need to regulate--"

"Actually, you better tell me about it, he won't know." Nami wisely intervened, pulling Meri aside so she could concentrate on his words. Luffy scratched his head and shrugged, more concerned with the fact that he now had a genuine pirate ship. Hanley ruffled his hair.

"Aren't you lucky, Hanuman? Caravels make very good ships for long distance travel and exploration."

"You'll be making bacon, right?" Luffy asked in all seriousness.

"Yeah, we had a deal, didn't we?"

Luffy nodded and turned his attention back on the Merry-Go. "It's a very good ship. Thank you."

"It's no trouble at all. I also prepared the necessary supplies as well," Kaya said.

"Ooh, you're very graceful!"

"You mean generous, idiot," Zoro grumbled goodnaturedly.

A loud rumble and a scream drew everyone's focus back up the slope, where...actually, Hanley wasn't quite sure what she was looking at, at first. Upon closer inspection, she could see that it was a large sack full of who-knows-what, and Usopp was attached to it as the mass rolled down the hill.

'I thought that only happened in cartoons!!'

"Somebody stop me!!" he screamed as he sped towards them. He accelerated once the large sack hit the steeper incline of the rocky slope.

"What's he doing?" asked Luffy.

Zoro sighed. "It doesn't matter, just stop him before he hits our ship."

"Ah, that's right!" The makeshift boulder hit level ground, but its momentum still carried it forward. Luffy and Zoro raised their legs simultaneously, stopping Usopp before he slammed into their new caravel.

"Thanks..." Usopp groaned around Luffy's sandal.

"You're welcome."

Hanley jogged up and helped untie him from his cargo. "Usopp-kun, you okay?"

"Yeah...I wonder if I packed a little too much..." Usopp brushed himself off as Hanley gaped at the massive bag. It was bursting at the seams, full of, no offense to Usopp, useless crap. She thought she saw a frisbee.

"I think you did..." Where did he even get a knapsack that big? Out of the corner of her eye, Hanley spotted Nami motioning for them to get aboard.

'Oh, right, better let Usopp and Kaya have their moment.' Hanley shouldered her bag and began to climb up the rope ladder tossed over the railing. Luffy simply stretched his arms out to grab the hull to pull himself on board.

Hanley happily hopped onto the main deck. "Finally, a ship! Do we have our own quarters?"

"Yes, men and women have their own, separate quarters. I can show you." Nami was standing by three large sacks, having already gotten their treasure aboard; it was probably her first priority.

"Oi!" Usopp called. Luffy, Hanley, Nami, and Zoro all leaned over the side to see him.

"Something wrong, Usopp-kun?" Hanley replied.

"Not at all! I just wanted to wish you all good luck!"

"Why?" Luffy asked.

"Huh? Why're you asking me?" Usopp spread his arms to emphasize his point. "Both of us are pirates, so we have to meet again someday."

"Wait, what? I thought you were coming with us!" Hanley cried, a little upset.

"W-Wha--"

"Shut up and get on the boat." Zoro pointed down at the deck.

"We're on the same team, now." Luffy added, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Usopp stared at them in silence. Hanley watched as his eyes widened and he threw up his hands in complete joy.

"I'm the captain, right??"

"Don't be stupid, I'm captain!!"

Hanley only laughed and reached down to help Usopp onto the Going Merry.

**********

OMAKE: Krut Hanley

Luffy held up an expanse of black cloth, beaming with pride. "The pirate flag is finished!!"

It was just like that night three years ago, when the two of them attempted to fashion Ace his very own jolly roger. It was very clear to Hanley in that moment that Luffy not only sucked at drawing, he somehow managed to get _worse_.

Hanley covered her mouth and looked to the side, unwilling to say anything hurtful. "Oh, Hanuman..."

Usopp wasn't so kind, as he was far more blatant with his criticism. "His drawing sucks!"

"Maybe this picture is supposed to be abstract..." Nami stroked her chin, staring at the misshapen skull and crossbones.

"Well, a pirate symbol is a symbol of death...this looks scary, in a way," Zoro said, also trying to be diplomatic.

"How is it? Huh, huh??" Luffy's smile widened to inhuman proportions.

"You really don't know how to draw," Usopp took the flag and set himself up by the paints, "I'll do it."  
"I didn't know you could draw!" Hanley was impressed as she watched him work with efficiency.

"Heh, just watch!"

Usopp didn't take that long, and after a few moments he held up his still drying masterpiece.

His own, personal symbol.

Luffy and Zoro smacked him on the head. "You drew your own flag."

"Haha...kidding! Um, wait a bit." Usopp got a new length of cloth and set to work. After a while, he created what Luffy had tried, and failed, to paint. The skull and crossbones weren't anything fancy; what set it apart was the straw hat placed upon its head.

"It looks good, now." Nami approved as they gathered around.

Hanley nodded. "This is perfect!"

"And totally different from Luffy's." Zoro couldn't help but point out.

Usopp looked smug as he crossed his arms. "Ever since I was a kid, I painted on people's walls. I achieved much in the way of art."

"Um, so, you vandalized other's property." Hanley remarked.

"When you put it that way--"

Luffy immediately began pushing Usopp towards the main mast. "Okay! Let's put it on the sail!"

"Alright, alright, don't push!"

The group watched as he began his work, feeling rather pleased.

Hanley looked down at her husband. "Hey, what're we gonna call ourselves?"

"That's simple," Luffy answered, not taking his eyes off Usopp, "we're the Strawhats!"

**********

_To be continued_


	14. Interlude III

Wow, you guys...just wow. I thought the last update was long, but clearly I had no idea what I was talking about. Real life has used and abused me this entire season. I've gotten into the graduate program I wanted, I've been _fired_, I've went job hunting, I've then gotten rehired and am now undergoing a six week training, I've moved and I'm about to move _again_, and on top of all of this, I have two graduate projects due by the end of the month.

The joy I feel, you guys...srsly.

HOWEVER, this in no way diminishes the support I've gotten. Big, huge, thank yous to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, whatever. This story is nothing without y'all, so I just want to let you know that while I may not always stay in touch (for months, haha...), I do appreciate everything. I've said it before, but it's the sort of thing that needs to be re-said.

SO, the saga continues, you can say. I know this isn't a proper chapter, but I've kept you guys waiting long enough as it is. Hopefully you'll enjoy it while I work on the main storyline. :)

Peace, love, and chicken grease,

NV

**********

Interlude III: The Adventures of Garp and Krutty, Part Two; or, Grandparents

**********

Krut Thai

He should have seen it coming. Krut Thai's luck had never been anything spectacular, and when his secret appointment at the Shell Town Base in East Blue went smoothly for three months (comparatively speaking...Garp was in charge, after all), he really ought to have been concerned. As it was, he nearly pulled his hair out by his roots when an explosion shocked him into awareness after a long night of patrol.

It was also the morning when he first met her.

There really wasn't anything special about that day. Nothing like the maudlin, ridiculous love stories he suffered through as a child because his mother was an eerily obsessed romantic. The sun wasn't shining any brighter, the sky wasn't some obscure shade of blue; looking back, they still weren't. The only thing really notable were the fires that surged through the small, sleepy village in the early morning. The buildings were little more than kindling--all wooden and cheaply constructed at that. Krut Thai could remember how thick and black the smoke was and the hint of burned flesh under the heavier scent of wood and tar. In his line of work, that smell was familiar to the point he was sensitive to it; humans burning always smelled oddly like pigs in a barbecue (without the seasonings and other flavors, thankfully, as it would have become disturbingly appetizing). He always looked for it out of habit and a perverse sense of curiosity.

And when he was killing someone, it was one way to ensure that he was doing his job properly.

Krut Thai was in his element that day, moving behind the scenes in the wake of chaos and terror and confusion. Perhaps he should have been more horrified, but at that point human suffering was so familiar and commonplace he didn't bat an eye as the Marines scrambled through the village to regain control. He wasn't that interested in going out of his way to help, not when he had a job to do. It was _her_ M.O., after all. She was in the area if the reports were still accurate, and there were no pirates to be seen. If he was quick he might be able to able to finally track her down. The woman seemed to be the type to hang around and enjoy the fruits of her labor. Krut Thai had passed Garp twice in his search, working furiously at ground level with his sleeves rolled up and already covered in filth. It was enough to make Krut shudder and reflexively pat his cravat and perfectly starched vest. He never let himself become that unkempt. If you couldn't maintain your poise when the blood was flying, when could you? If there was one thing he learned at his father's knee, it was the importance of performing your duties with dignity.

'You always have to the be hero, hm, Garp?' Ah well. He considered Garp to be a friend; when this was all over, he would be sure to take the man aside and instruct him proper decorum.

It didn't take long for Krut Thai to realize that hanging around the village (or what was left of it) was a fruitless endeavor, so with a mere kick of his feet he propelled himself into the untamed forests that still made up the island interior. He took to the trees, easily leaping from branch to branch, moving so fluidly that his progress was all but silent through the canopy.

Krut Thai paused briefly on a particularly thick branch of an oak tree, and it turned out to nearly be his undoing. Out of the corner of his eye, there was a flash of vibrant red heading towards his face. Instinct took over and he dove out of the way, feeling his attacker brush his hair. He twisted mid-air to see the shape (a giant snake, he could have sworn) somehow vanish in the foliage despite its loud coloring. He gave an irritated grunt as he hit the ground.

"Goddammit..." He hissed as he looked around. That had to be her; he was never so sure of something in his life.

The next attack was much like the last, coming at his flank at an incredible speed. He was ready this time, however, as he shifted his body weight and activated _Soru_. He quickly escaped the line of fire and retaliated with a roundhouse kick, sure he was going to connect with his target.

Until the snake (yes, definitely a viper) swerved around his attack. The next thing Krut Thai knew, there was a giant fang dripping with venom inches away from his eye.

He bent backwards just in the nick of time, and dodged two more quick strikes before the creature disappeared into the underbrush.

"Mother of--!!"

"You are young, but you are pretty good, Krut Thai..." a soft voice whispered in his ear. He started to turn, but something sharp pressed against the small of his back. Krut Thai froze then, not willing to chance an injury to a very vulnerable part of his body.

While his body was frozen, his mind was racing, going over possible escape routes and cursing himself for falling into such a trap.

Still, this was no reason to lose his head. "Kadru Handerson, I presume?"

"You presume correctly, my young, dashing man..." Her voice was dark and filled with laughter at his misfortune. Krut Thai bristled on principle.

"It seems you are patronizing me, Madame." He carefully examined the surrounding area, unsure of whether the giant viper was an ally of hers or Handerson herself. It had been his experience that either was very much possible.

"Nonsense. I am just being honest. If nothing else, I am honest." She lightly touched his shoulder and slowly made her around to the front to face him.

A couple of things were immediately apparent. One, Handerson was very beautiful. Her hair was bright red and long--although gnarled as if she never got around to brushing it. She had bright green eyes and her pale skin was covered in dark red scales of things. They ran along her arms and legs and sides, leaving her belly exposed. It wasn't the most _unusual_ thing he had seen, and it oddly fit in a way. Krut Thai could only assume she had eaten one of the Devil's Fruits.

Two, and this was just as important, she was also very naked.

He had to admit he was proud of himself for not visibly reacting; though, his breath did hitch slightly from shock. How brazen was this woman?? He had heard tale she wasn't quite right in the head (naturally), but he was pretty sure he would have remembered the small detail of her dislike for clothing. She wasn't Handerson the Raging Nudist, after all.

'Perhaps I am simply special.' It wouldn't be the first time women threw himself at him. He was no stranger to batting eyelashes and swaying hips--more often than not, now that he thought about it, those women were also desperately trying to convince him to spare their lives. It never worked of course, but he had seen far too many naked breasts for his liking.

She was giving him the once over herself, to the point Krut Thai was actually starting to feel violated. She squeezed his bicep and patted his shoulders, humming under breath as if she was at a cattle auction.

"Oh, you'll do, my dear. You will definitely do."

"Why not check my teeth, woman?" he sneered, taking the opportunity to lash out at her.

Handerson merely laughed and danced out of the way. She was toying with him, to the point he was actually starting to lose his temper. He didn't like to play games and it stung his pride that his carefully and meticulously honed strength was made useless.

Handerson sighed and leaned languidly against a tree, patting her hips.

"Yes, this is wonderful. I was despairing over finding a good one." Her face borderline obscene as she leered at him. "Shall we begin our detailed inspection?"

Krut Thai's anger was quickly giving away to bafflement. It was now apparent that this entire affair was for his benefit; Handerson had something planned that he was unable to decipher at present.

"Woman," he uttered for the lack of anything else to say.

Handerson's smile grew wider. "Man. You should be flattered, my silly boy: I don't just lay with anyone."

"Wha--"

"Ooh...I simply can't wait! Are you going to tease me for long? Are you spurning my gift?"

'This was the feared Kadru Handerson? A barmy woman with unbrushed hair who likes to prance around in the buff?' If it weren't for the fact that she was clearly in control, Krut Thai would have felt that this was a disappointing waste of his time. As it stood, he was doing his best not to get caught unawares.

Handerson pursed her lips and gave a sigh. "Not now, hm? Am I going to have to go slow with you? How adorable; I've haven't had to deal with a virgin before."

She cheerfully ignored his sputters and stole a kiss.

Krut Thai was so stunned he forgot to punch her.

"I'll be around, my darling."

And she vanished just as quickly as she appeared.

He could have cursed his helplessness and bemoaned the fact that he had let her get away alive, or at the very least not-bleeding. Instead, Krut Thai could only cross his arms and scowl.

"That woman pinched my ass."

**********

_To be continued..._


	15. Unavoidable Difference

Wow, you guys...so, um, hi! I don't have much to say this time-all I can do is hang my head and pray you like what I cooked up. It's another really long chapter, so hopefully that will be enough to make amends? Also from sheer guilt, I've added a bonus interlude chapter as well for you to enjoy.

Special thanks to Spellcaster Hikaru who still took the time to read my ramblings XD. And special thanks to those who also reviewed my interlude. May you live long and prosper.

(Holy crap, son, it's been so many months my heart aches)

So, here we go!

_Hanley_

Chapter XI: The Unavoidable Difference Between Women and Men

* * *

Amano Hanley

"What are you doing, girl?" Krut Thai asked as he stood over her. "I thought you wanted to get stronger? I thought you didn't want those two boys to leave you behind?"

'You know, other kids get cake and candles on their birthdays. Some lucky few probably get an actual gift. Me? I get beat up. Life is not fair.' Hanley thought as she slowly picked herself off the ground. She dimly noticed that her body had made another lovely crater to add to the collection scattered about the training field. She wiped sweat and dust from her brow and squinted in the bright sunlight. The two of them had been out here for hours now with little progress on her part. To his credit, Master Thai was being more patient than usual-that was probably due to the fact he could smack her around, knowing her luck.

Krut Thai sighed and scratched the stubble on his chin. "You're trying to overpower me."

"Obviously! What else do you think I am doing?"

"You certainly won't be winning that way, woman."

Hanley gnashed her teeth and all but threw herself at him once more, her temper pushed over the edge. It never failed! The man was incapable of going one day without pointing out her sex as if it was some sort of dreaded disease. Hanley had resolved to show him that he was wrong, even if that wasn't going too well.

Master Thai snorted in amusement and easily caught her charge.

"You'll never beat my strength; just accept that and you'll be all the better for it."

"Stop that, Master Thai!" Hanley shrieked when he easily swept her aside and began to head back into their shared house.

"That's enough for today. Clearly, we're done for now. I do believe we'll have smoked salmon for dinner. Be sure to clean up."

Hanley glared at his back and rubbed her jaw.

"Dammit...you're wrong, Master Thai..."

"Am I, girl?"

* * *

Krut Hanley

When Hanley heard the near ear-drum shattering blast from one of the ship's cannons, she simply shrugged and continued frying bacon.

'Of course Hanuman got into our munitions supplies-no doubt he thinks cannonballs and gunpowder automatically re-spawn or something. That guy has no head for our budget. He never did. And Ace? Just as bad. I hope his crew is taking care of him, because I know for a fact he'll need it. Ha, maybe I should count my blessings-there's no "mother in law" to worry about. No doubt she would just complained about how I'm stealing her boys and how they never write (not that I get written to, thanks for that, Ace) and ever since I came into the picture it just wasn't the same. Ugh, yeah, I'm definitely counting my blessings-and I'm cooking for him again. Seriously, how does he do it? It must be those calf eyes of his; and they're just as large and blank. I know for a fact my grandmother told me there'd be days like this. Didn't she tell me? I never forgot that talk either, bless her. I swear, the only thing missing here is bare feet...wait, did I just think that?'

Hanley pressed her lips together into a thin line before shrugging.

'It's finally happened: I need therapy. Oh well.'

Zoro and Nami jumped sky high when the cannon went off a second time, but Hanley simply plopped more bacon onto the pan, making sure not to trim the fat too much, of course, as it was only good juicy. Never mind the fact that Luffy's arteries will be hard as rock by the time he's thirty. Or were his arteries rubber as well? Damn, maybe Zoro did have a point...

"They will learn," she muttered darkly, resolving to drop that train of thought and returning to the previous one, "they will learn. Hanuman! The bacon's nearly ready! Have you taken out the trash, yet?"

It hadn't taken too long for Luffy to "suggest" that she begin their bacon production. She knew he would, but all the same she couldn't help but make the requisite grumblings and moanings as she added flavorings to the pieces of meat. It also didn't take too long before Luffy started itching for something to do. Forget the Marines and the danger presented by other marauding pirates-boredom was going to get them all killed. They hadn't even been out to sea for long. Still, Hanley had to admit that everything was relatively peaceful so far. Zoro was napping (again-seriously?), Nami was going over her charts, and Usopp had a variety of tools cluttering up the kitchen table. It was surprisingly domestic.

It also wouldn't last. Goddamn, it never did.

The smell of frying bacon was familiar and comforting for all of her complaining, and the fact that she was going to have room to move around and sleep in a honest-to-goodness bed put her in a rather buoyant mood. She didn't even bother getting insulted when the rest of her crew-mates save Luffy declined her cooking with varying degrees of politeness. Apparently Usopp and Luffy had finished goofing off for the time being, as the two of them bounded inside moments later.

Luffy sighed dramatically and leaned against her side. "Hanley, I'm so hungry! I'm gonna die!"

"Then hurry up and die!" Hanley ruffled his hair. "Take out the trash before you do, though. How many times do I have to I have to ask you?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot. I was gonna do it after-"

"You never listen to me any more, you know. I shouldn't be so surprised, even though I did give you the best years of my life-"

"Ooh, is it done?"

"...You have ten seconds to take out the trash."

"Shishi, alright, alright."

"Honestly," Hanley huffed. She sent Nami a look of long suffering. "You just don't know, Nami. It used to be so different."

Nami clucked her tongue in a move that seemed a bit too mocking for Hanley's tastes.

"Did he also use to take you places?"

Hanley stared blankly at her.

Usopp, the ever helpful, decided to elucidate. "I think she means you sound like a nagging wife."

"Nami said wha-" Hanley managed to choke out before Luffy cleared his throat.

"Listen, I have an idea."

"I sound like a wife?" Hanley interrupted, still choking.

"Well, sorta." Usopp hedged while Nami snickered at her.

It wasn't too late to return them, was it? Surely not-just turn right around and punt them into the-

"I told you you had a complex," Zoro grunted from his spot between two barrels, not nearly as asleep as Hanley figured he was.

'It's already started, and we'll be in close quarters for who knows how long. Oh my god, what if she's right? What if I sound like a wife-oh shit, I've internalized it-'

"Before we enter the Grand Line, there's one crew member that we should try to find," Luffy continued, to his credit. Hanley paused in her panicking long enough to latch onto his surprisingly thoughtful idea like a barnacle.

"Yes!" She ignored the odd pitch in her tone. "You're absolutely right, Hanuman."

Nami nodded and leaned against the table. "Yes, since we have such a beautiful kitchen...I will hire someone if I have the money."

"Good thing, too. Other than bacon I can barely boil water." Hanley tossed the last bit of meat onto the plate. The others had a point. Considering how they started out, they were doing surprisingly well gathering the needed crew-members. For their immediate needs, what they needed now was a cook so they wouldn't starve and a carpenter so they wouldn't drown.

Hanley pulled herself from her thoughts to hear Zoro chime in. "He's the most important member for a long journey."

"Oh, you think so, too?" Luffy looked cheerful. "Real pirates should have a musician!"

Silence fell as the others couldn't quite believe what just came out of his mouth. Hanley knew, though, as she patted his head and shoved a plate under his nose to distract him from himself.

"They will learn," she muttered as she turned back to clean up, "they will learn."

"Are you nuts?" Usopp shouted as the conversation fell into chaos.

Nami threw up her hands. "And to think I thought you had a good idea! Now you've ruined it!"

'It's petty, but I'll take this as sweet, sweet revenge.'

Luffy was more occupied by the food going down his throat while Hanley enjoyed her passive-aggressive glee at their dismay.

Unfortunately, that only lasted until there was an enraged shout coming from the main deck.

"Show yourself! I'll kill all of you!"

Many things happened at once, including Luffy actually looking up from his meal and Nami shrieking when Usopp's tea splashed her. Luffy was out of his seat and sprinting towards the door when they heard crashes and other sounds of destruction coming from outside.

"Hey!" snapped Luffy as he threw himself outside. "Who are you?" He let the door swing shut behind him. Hanley couldn't make out the man's muffled response, and Nami and Usopp were quick to peer out the small window. Zoro took a more practical approach.

"How many are there?" He asked, scratching his chin.

"Only one." Usopp answered, unable to take his eyes from the ruckus outside. Hanley winced at the sound of more of their ship getting destroyed.

'Dammit, we just got the Going Merry...'

Zoro yawned. "Leave that one to Luffy, then."

"Yeah," Hanley agreed as she dumped the dishes into the sink, "if we're lucky, that fool out there will have a decent bounty so we can pay for repairs. Seriously, this does not bode well for our ship."

The fight didn't last long, from what she could tell. She heard one more loud crash then silence. Luffy wasn't bounding back inside, however, and Hanley felt a bit concerned as she wiped her hands and headed for the door.

"What just happened?" she asked and peered over their heads.

"Luffy beat him," Nami sighed in relief.

"Not surprising. But geez, it would be our luck to get attacked so quickly."

"Heh, I can already tell this will be a fun voyage." Zoro smirked and slowly pushed himself into a standing position. He pushed past them to exit the kitchen and take a look at the situation himself. To their surprise, and his, he paused mid-stride and raised an eyebrow.

"Oi, isn't that Johnny?"

Hanley stepped up behind him and looked over his shoulder. Luffy was sitting on the main deck below, looking confused while a dark haired man of average height and build was sprawled on the deck before him. He wore dark sunglasses and had a prominent tattoo with the kanji "sea" on his left cheek. The man, Johnny apparently, quickly shot to his feet at the sight of them.

"Zoro-aniki!"

"What happened? Where's Yosaku?" asked Zoro, glancing around the deck.

"You know that guy, Mr. Zoro?" Hanley frowned in concern when Johnny gave out a short sob. He looked so desolate that Hanley felt a little sorry for him. Only a smidge, as it looked like they weren't going to get the ship repaired after all.

"Yosaku is..." Johnny couldn't even finish for the grief, and it took Zoro urging him to pull himself together and pulling another man from a small boat anchored nearby before they could get the entire story.

"Sick." Zoro crossed his arms thoughtfully as he gazed down at Yosaku. Sick was rather an understatement, as the man looked to be three-fourths dead and counting. His skin tone was an unnatural color and he was barely breathing. Combined with his bloody wounds that were starting to fester, Hanley quietly began planning a short, yet undoubtedly heart-felt, funeral.

"Yes, three days ago he was still healthy. But...then he passed out and I don't know why." Johnny's head lowered and he sniffled. "His teeth started coming out, and his old wounds started bleeding. I didn't know what to do. We took a rest at that island, and then..."

"Island?" Hanley asked, "We passed by an island?"

"This ship shot its cannon at us!" Johnny finished while Hanley slowly turned her gaze to Luffy and Usopp.

"MMHMM." Hanley tapped her foot while Usopp and Luffy bowed their heads and asked for forgiveness like recalcitrant school boys.

"We're very sorry."

Johnny sniffed and rubbed his eyes from under his glasses. "It's okay. Since you said you were sorry, I won't get the police to arrest you."

'Ha! Good luck with that-Hanuman, why are you looking like that?' Hanley rubbed her forehead as Luffy and Usopp looked panicked at the thought of being arrested...despite the fact that they were pirates.

"Still, that sounds serious." Zoro knelt beside Yosaku and poked his shoulder.

Hanley rubbed her chin. "Actually, it sounds familiar...the sailors talked about this back home. Scarvy...Spurry...no, wait, did it even start with an 's'?"

"The names Yosaku and Johnny have become well-known to many pirates. He's my best buddy-my nakama who has been helping me hunt pirates for many years. Will he survive, Aniki?" Johnny looked up at Zoro then, and even though Hanley couldn't see them, she rather imagined that his eyes were full of hope. Zoro paused, looking more than awkward, while Nami sighed and groaned in exasperation.

"You're very stupid!" she cried, throwing up her hands.

Hanley coughed and raised her eyebrow. "Geez. Want me to hold him down so you can kick him, too?"

Johnny grit his teeth and glared at her. "You think my friend's death is stupid?"

Nami ignored him in favor of jerking her thumb in the direction of their larder. "Luffy, Usopp, there are some lemons in the kitchen. Make some juice out of them and bring them here."

"Yes, Ma'am!" They immediately jumped up to do her bidding while Hanley snapped her fingers.

"Oh yeaaaaah! Vitamin C! It's called _scurvy_! Good thing you were here, Nami. By the time I remembered the poor sap would've been long dead! Haha!"

Nami slowly shook her head and muttered under her breath. If Hanley didn't know any better, it sounded like she was praying for deliverance.

"She's right. If it's not too late, he'll get better in two or three days."

"Is that true, sempai?" Johnny screamed in excitement. Nami made a face and slowly inched away in the opposite direction. Hanley honestly couldn't decide whether the entire affair was hilarious or tragic. At best, it probably just said something about her ever waning sanity. Who knew giving up could be so satisfying?

She snickered as she poked Nami in the back, stopping her progress. Nami spared her an irritated glare before rubbing her forehead in resignation.

"Don't call me 'sempai'."

"I really can't believe I forgot the existence of scurvy..." Hanley muttered as she watched Luffy and Usopp tumble down the stairs with large tankards.

"Really?" Nami looked vaguely amused. "I can."

Hanley clicked her tongue. "Are you saying that from the love you feel in your heart, Nami?"

"Sure, sure."

Meanwhile, Usopp had taken Yosaku's head and propped it up while Luffy poured the lemon juice down his throat. It was a very messy operation, though, as lemon juice splashed down the poor man's face and onto the deck.

"Don't drown him, you two!" Hanley gave a sobbing Johnny a pat on his shoulder. "Yes, yes, it must have been very trying for you. Let it out."

Luffy tossed the tankard aside and gaped at Nami in awe. "You're a miracle doctor!"

"I knew you were skilled," Usopp boasted in his typical fashion.

"If you want to become a pirate, you should know simple things like this!" Nami screamed.

'You may want to save your voice, you know.' Hanley jumped when Yosaku suddenly leaped to his feet, cheering with joy.

"I'm healthy now!"

Johnny began jumping up and down with joy. "Yeah! My buddy is healthy again!"

The only one remotely unhappy was Nami, who was shouting at them. "Scurvy isn't cured that fast!"

"Why worry? The whole point was to cure him, right?" Hanley pointed out.

Nami rubbed her forehead. "I'm only saying that because it's irresponsible-"

"No! His wounds!" Johnny wailed as Yosaku suddenly collapsed, blood pouring from his nose and mouth.

"Huh." Hanley rubbed her chin. "I guess you were right, Nami."

"I'm always right. Please remember that."

The morning was nearly gone by the time the crew of the Going Merry set aside a resting place for Yosaku and cleaned up the blood and various other fluids that he leaked. It was so gross that Hanley resolved to suck on a lemon everyday...as wrong as that sounded. It was also a depressing reminder that it probably wouldn't be the last time she would be scrubbing blood off the woodwork.

"Well, wasn't this a good lesson?" Nami asked conversationally as she sat down on the stairs leading up to the quarterdeck.

Zoro sighed deeply and rubbed the back of his neck. "I had no idea we could get sick like that."

"Oh...then it's a good thing we found you, Mr. Zoro."

"You're very unsettling, Hanley."

"Still, if that man hadn't found us, he'd have died." Usopp scratched his nose as he leaned back against the mizzenmast.

"Yup, so it was a good thing we blew up that island." Luffy added, looking at Hanley with a hopeful expression on his fast-as if she would forget what he did in the first place.

Hanley snorted. "Yeah, sure. But this does go to show that we definitely need someone to take care of the food...our combined cooking skills aside."

"And during a long journey, the person who can make sure that we have enough food _is_ the chef." added Usopp.

"Hm. We were just talking about that, weren't we? But now..." Nami crossed her arms and leaned her elbows against her knees, staring thoughtfully in the distance. A brief silence fell before Luffy suddenly sat up and stuck out his tongue.

"Okay, I've decided! We should search for a chef and we'll have a chance to eat good food!"

"Aw, and it only took someone nearly dying from scurvy for you to come to that conclusion. I am so proud." Hanley cooed, completely and utterly serious. Personally, she was expecting more resistance.

"Aniki!" Johnny called as he emerged from below deck, stretching his arms.

Zoro craned his neck back. "What is it, Johnny?"

"I couldn't help but overhear you guys. If you're looking for a chef, I'd like to recommend this one place. However, I'm not sure one would join you."

"Really? Well, what is it?"

"There's a restaurant ship; it's pretty famous."

"Restaurant ship?" everyone repeated, staring blankly at him.

"Yes. From here, it should take us two to three days. But you have to be careful since it's so close to the Grand Line. There might be some bad pirates there." Johnny advised as he walked towards them. He paused mid-stride, however, to lean in and whisper something in Zoro's ear. Hanley pursed her lips thoughtfully while Luffy threw up his arms.

"No problem! Let's go there!"

Johnny nodded emphatically. "We owe you. I'll definitely show you."

Hanley calmly sidled over and threw an arm over Zoro's shoulders.

"So. Mr. Zoro. You look excited."

"Don't worry about it." Zoro tried to play it off, but he wasn't exactly the best actor. He shrugged off her arm and walked to the railing, barely able to stand still. Whatever Johnny's news was, it really lit a fire under him.

Nami stood up and brushed dirt off her skirt. "Johnny? Come into the kitchen and give me the coordinates, then!"

"Right away, sempai!"

"Don't call me that."

"I'm going to go check on Yosaku," Zoro said suddenly, already heading below deck before anyone could make a comment. Really, the man couldn't handle subtlety very well. Hanley heaved a sigh and placed a hand on Luffy's head to stop him mid-jig.

"Is it just me, or did Mr. Zoro act a little weird, there?"

Luffy blinked. "Huh? Zoro?"

'I guess it was just me.'

"I didn't notice anything..." Usopp muttered. He shrugged shortly thereafter. "Oh well, he'll tell us if something's wrong."

'Or maybe I imagined it? still...why do I get the feeling he's going to do something rash and-or stupid? I wonder what Johnny said.' Whatever it was, Johnny wasn't exactly very forthcoming with the information as they traveled to the restaurant ship. His loyalty to Zoro-aniki, pirate or no, kept his mouth tightly shut. Honestly, while Hanley knew the saying "loose lips sink ships" had some merit, it was getting patently ridiculous when it was so obvious something was going on. You had to be blind (or Luffy, bless his little heart) to miss it. Zoro always trained hard, but his training suddenly became three times more intense, _and _he was no longer taking midday naps in assorted places.

Red flag. Right fucking there.

It got to the point Nami brought up her neurosis during one of their talks.

"You really should just let it go," she advised while peeling a potato. "Besides, if there's anyone you should be monitoring, it's that guy." Nami pointed the knife in Luffy's direction, who was currently wow-ing Usopp with his straw-in-the-nose trick. For some reason, that _never _got old.

Hanley gave an unattractive grunt. "Where do you think I even got it? Ten years with him, and at this point it's not a question of if something is going to be destroyed, but when and how much it's going to cost me. You think he's bad now...just wait."

Nami raised a single eyebrow.

"Remind me to tell you about a dine-and-dash incident that took place a few years back. I still get irate thinking about it. Are the potatoes done yet?" asked Hanley, quickly changing the subject.

"Just about. Geez, I hope we do get a cook at this restaurant."

"Am I that bad? Thanks. How long before we hit that ship anyway?" Hanley haphazardly tossed the potatoes into the pot. She couldn't really help but agree with Nami, though. They had only been out to sea for a couple of days, and she was already at the end of her "recipes I can actually make and not kill anyone" list. It was amazing, really, the sort of clarity that hindsight could bring. Whenever she thought of that night on the Red Dawn, she would cringe and count her lucky stars she didn't poison the entire crew. Considering what she thoughtlessly tossed into the stew, she was _very_ glad.

She hoped they were alright. Surely they were.

"You have a funny look on your face."

Hanley huffed. "Oh, do I?"

Nami tapped her nails against the table. "Mmhmm. Did you even hear my answer?"

"Answer?"

Nami shook her head and idly waved her hand. "I said that it should be early afternoon tomorrow. The weather'll stay fair and the wind's good. So?"

"Is this that 'girl-talk' I'd always hear about? Because back home, there weren't any girls to talk to for talking's sake. Does this mean you're going to be upfront about where you come from?" Hanley looked over at her shoulder, just in time to see Nami's expression shutter for a brief moment.

'Okay, what's going with _you _now?'

"My home?"

It was Hanley's turn to raise an eyebrow-and it felt pretty good. "Yes. You have to have one. And you know what, I'm starting to think it has something to do with this Arlong you mentioned way back. Don't think I've forgotten that."

"Oh? Aren't we clever?" Nami crossed her arms casually.

"Not really. But I can put two and two together. You can only deflect questions for so long before it becomes telling."

"I'm not the only one who does it."

"Nope. I'm probably prying too much, but, still, you can never be too careful these days."

Nami nodded. "I see...okay. So, there's nothing about you that you're hiding."

Hanley winced.

"Yeah, I'm a hypocrite, I got it." But she stubbornly continued. "I don't care, though."

Nami looked thoughtful as she wiped down the table and placed the dirty utensils in the sink. Neither of them spoke for several long moments, and with Luffy and Usopp having left the kitchen a while ago for more entertaining things, the only sound was the rolling boil of the soup that Hanley could only hope she wasn't ruining.

'Maybe I should leave well enough alone, but I...'

"So if I do something to hurt the crew, you'll take me down, right?" Nami asked quietly. Hanley couldn't see her face, and her hands were repeatedly wiping down a knife, despite the fact it practically shone.

"...Yeah."

"That must be nice." Nami whispered, and Hanley wondered if she was even supposed to hear that answer.

"Nami-"

"Is it nearly done? I swear, if I weren't so afraid of the ship being set aflame, I'd make those guys cook." Her tone was more than a little forced, but Hanley opted to just ignore it.

"I hear ya. It's nearly done; their stomachs will bring them here."

It was just small talk after that, but it was a long time before the atmosphere became normal again.

When she heard another cannon go off, followed by other, assorted sounds of destruction, Hanley attempted to roll right over and continue dozing. She didn't usually take the night watch, simply for the fact that her internal clock made it more than a little difficult. Early to bed, early to rise was her motto, depending on how mentally tired she was as a result of the people she normally associated with (it used to be Ace, Luffy, and her grandfather...now it was Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and Usopp; Luffy was the common element in there, which was sadly telling). Hanley ended up offering to take over Zoro's usual spot when he wore himself down to the bone due to training practically non-stop. He was a driven man, even more so now these days.

Hanley swore she had only just closed her eyes when she heard the commotion above deck, and she could feel herself snarling as she kicked off her covers and stumbled free from bed. If it was Luffy and Usopp playing with the cannon again, she was going to tie their necks into a knot and tell Ace it was an accident.

She heaved a sigh of long suffering as she pushed open the hatch and all but crawled to the main deck and the unforgiving sunlight. Hanley couldn't quite understand the shouting. The first thing her eyes landed on was...a giant fish. It was sitting pretty on the water, with two large masts rising from just behind the back of its head and right before the tail. There was a three storied building serving as its body, and if she wasn't so tired, the gaping eyes and maw would have probably haunted her soul. As it was, Hanley literally rubbed her eyes and made sure her mind hadn't dreamed up something from sheer exhaustion. But, no, the fish with the building on its back was still there, along with the smoking, gaping hole in its roof. She also had the sinking suspicion that unless that hole was part of the architecture, it was going to cost them. Hanley idly took in the Marine vessel sitting broadside yards away, the others' stunned expressions, and Luffy's shocked form lying prone on the deck.

Hanley was nearly too afraid to ask.

"Are we under attack?" she sighed. Nami slowly rubbed her forehead and dragged her fingers through her hair.

"Not anymore; not yet."

"Uh huh...are we in immediate danger of dying?"

"That remains to be seen."

"Uh huh...is it Luffy's fault?"

"Well, partly."

"Uh huh...well, I'll be sleeping below deck."

"I'll see you later."

"When we get the bill for damages, just break it to me gently."

"Yeah, sure...and it will get worse?"

"Oh, you will not be prepared."

Later; later, when her eyes didn't feel grainy and she no longer had a tension headache pounding on her temples. Hanley crept back down into the darkness and to her bed. She was asleep the moment her head hit the pillow, and she managed to get several good hours in before she woke up once more. This time, she woke up to near silence. The only thing she could hear was the sound of creaking wood and water lapping against the sides of the caravel.

It was quiet, too quiet; therefore, it was horribly suspicious.

"I'm never going to satisfied, am I? Now it's uncomfortably peaceful. Fuck." And it turned out to be Nami's bed she had been snoozing on, but it's not like she would notice anyway.

When she stepped out onto the main deck, Hanley could tell the entire morning had passed her by, as had a good portion of the afternoon. She saw that they were still at the giant fish (must have been that restaurant, Hanley figured), and none of the others were to be seen.

"Oi! Hanley-aneki!" a voice called from above. Hanley craned her head back and focused on the crow's nest. She spotted Yosaku and Johnny leaning over the side to greet her. Both were heavily bandaged-Hanley could only imagine why.

"Uh, you don't have to call me that!" It made her feel like some kind of gangster. "Say, where're the others?"

Johnny nodded toward the giant fish ship. "They went in there a while ago. We don't know what's going on with Luffy-aniki after what happened earlier."

Oh, right, the gaping hole in the roof. Goddammit.

Hanley scratched her neck and shrugged.

"Nothing for it. Better go see what's going on." She hopped on top of the railing. "Yosaku and Johnny, do you mind keeping watch over the ship?"

"Of course not, Hanley-aneki!" Well, it was better than sempai, she supposed. Hanley dove into the ocean, unable to get to the floating restaurant by any other means. With her speed, Hanley reached it in short order, and even as she was pulling herself out of the ocean, she could hear the familiar sounds of Luffy shouting and the sweet cacophony of chaos in the air.

'Ahhh, that's better.'

Hanley's bare feet slapped against the wood as she pushed open the main doors. Zoro had Luffy in a headlock and was pouring water down his throat while Usopp cackled at the both of them. Nami was sitting at a nearby table, but Hanley's view of her was obstructed by a tall figure with blonde hair in a black suit. His back was to her, so she didn't really get a good look at him before she dismissed him for more important matters. Hanley slowly shook her head and sighed.

"Oh my, oh my...I fear for our future." She noticed the stares she was getting from the other guests, and pointedly waved, causing most of them to jump and focus determinedly on their food.

'I didn't miss the gawking, though. Geez. You'd think they'd never seen a girl with scales before.'

"Mr. Zoro, put Hanuman down, won't you? What's been going on while I was sleeping?" Hanley called as she approached.

"Tch, you wouldn't be saying that if he put snot in your drink!" Zoro obligingly dropped her "husband," however.

'Um. Ew. Hanuman, are you seventeen or _seven_?'

Hanley sighed. "Oh Hanuman, what am I going to do with you-"

"A vision has appeared!"

Hanley jumped and looked around. Where the fuck did that come from?

"How fortune has smiled upon me today! This is love!" It was the young man from earlier, Hanley noticed dimly as he approached. She could see his face now-some of it, as his left eye was covered by a curtain of blond hair. The portion of his face Hanley could actually see had a curiously curled eyebrow and hearts were all but shining in his eye. She had no idea it was even possible to exude hearts from your being, but apparently it was.

And then she squeaked when he pranced (swooned? swayed? what the fuck was going on?) before her.

"Uh...what?"

The young man with the curly brow sighed as if she had bestowed some ancient wisdom upon his undeserving ears. It was so unsettling she actually found herself taking a small step back in the face of his exuberance.

"A beauty of the sea!" the young man continued. "Oh, that you may steal me away to your palace!"

"...What?"

Nami snickered and signaled okay with her left hand. "Way to go, Hanley!"

"What?"

She should have stayed asleep. This was the lesson she was learning right at that second.

Luffy gave one last hack before standing. "Oh! Hanley, can you tell that old guy I can't work here for a year?"

"...WHAAAAAAT?"

"Yeah...well, I told him I was only staying for a week, so..." Luffy idly dug his pinky in his ear.

'Oh. My. God.' Hanley hesitated before scooting past the lovesick blond guy and bowing deeply before the man she assumed was head chef. At least his ridiculously tall hat and impressively masculine mustache suggested that he was.

"I am so, so sorry for the inconvenience we have caused you. Please forgive my stupid, stupid captain." Hanley bowed deeply, mind racing. Ugh, she just knew it. While Luffy had caused collateral damage before, admittedly it never involved putting a sizable hole in the roof which may lead to having the entire thing replaced! That wasn't exactly a cheap undertaking.

The old man gazed down at her, idly shifting his weight on his good and peg leg and looking thoroughly unimpressed.

"Oh hoh? Are you taking responsibility? Well, if the two of you work here, I can cut it down to half a year."

Hanley paused.

"...Actually, I'm not that sorry."

Luffy gave her a blank stare. "You're so unfaithful, Hanley."

"Hanuman, I'm not trying to turn this into some kind of epic tragedy. I'll think of you fondly."

"Oh well, that's okay. I'm only staying for a week, anyway."

'Oh. My. God.'

"Hanuman!" Hanley groaned, drawing out the last syllable of his name as if that could give her all the answers she needed.

"Yeah, sorry, Hanley." Luffy gave an undignified squawk when she pulled him into a tight embrace.

"Why do you continue to do this to me? What have I done? Please, tell me!"

"Your boobs are choking me again!"

"Then start growing!"

To her surprise, the blond haired young man had paused long enough in his swooning to admonish Luffy.

"What are you saying? What sort of man talks that way!"

"I'm sorry...just who are you?" Hanley asked, finally. She was treated to an extravagant bow, complete with an exaggerated arcing of an arm, and he smoothly replied.

"You may call me anything, but my name is Sanji. Ah, if only our fates were blessed by a more forgiving star; as it is, we are doomed."

"What?" she couldn't muster up the brain power to say much more than that. The head chef, however, snorted at Sanji's over-the-top declarations (no, seriously _what was going on_?).

"Is that because of me?" he asked idly as he leaned back against the wall.

Sanji jumped. "Old man-"

"This is a good chance. You just go and be a pirate. We don't want you anymore."

'Wow, that was cold. But, still, what is happening?'

As if he could read her mind, Luffy chose that moment to be helpful.

"I've decided to make Sanji our chef, Hanley! You like him?"

"Oh? Oh! That's different! Are you going to be our chef, er, Sanji? I, for one, would be very grateful."

It was actually amusing to see the poor guy torn between answering her and shooting hearts in her direction, or arguing with the old chef who just chucked him out without a by-your-leave.

In the end, the chef took clear priority.

"Hey, old man, I'm the second chef of this restaurant. You just said you don't need me anymore. What do you mean?" Sanji didn't look that upset, although surely he must have been. He even had a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"His demeanor changed so quickly," Hanley muttered.

"Maybe he's bipolar." Zoro slouched in a chair, watching the events unfold.

"If that's the case, he'd fit right in."

"Hn, what are you saying?"

"It's my complex, Mr. Zoro. Keep it up."

The guests weren't even pretending not to stare at the ensuing drama, not caring that their food was quickly growing cold. Old Chef sneered in irritation as he was forced to explain himself.

"You always fight with the customers. And whenever you see beautiful women, you always flirt with them."

'Oh, that explains that, at least...not sure about the beautiful part, though...'

"Your food isn't that good, either. You'll drag the restaurant down. Everyone here doesn't like you, and I think you know that. So you'd better get out of here and become a pirate or whatever you want. The best thing is that you get out of this restaurant as soon as possible."

For a long moment, Sanji stood silently, to the point that Hanley wondered if he was even affected by the old man's speech at all.

'This is awkward, though. Seriously.'

Suddenly, Sanji was marching towards the head chef, his hands now curled tightly into fists and his face flushed angrily.

"What are you talking about? Do you think that this won't upset me?" Sanji roughly grabbed the old man by the collar and yanked him closer. "You crazy old man, _now_ you suddenly despise my food? I don't believe you! Besides, I'm not going to leave no matter what you say-!"

The old man was having none of it, however, as he quickly reversed the hold and sent Sanji flying, right past Hanley and Luffy and into the table where the rest of the crew was sitting. The others had moved quickly beforehand and managed to grab the plates filled with food the moment before Sanji crash landed.

"What a tough old guy!" Hanley cried. Johnny really wasn't kidding about this restaurant!

Sanji let out a sharp curse as he picked himself up, not much worse for the wear.

"Listen! I don't care how many times you tell me to leave, but I'll be a chef here forever! You got a problem with that?"

The head chef simply turned on his heel and headed back towards the kitchen. That action only served to infuriate Sanji even more, as he was now shouting at the top of his lungs.

"I will stay here until you die!"

"I won't die for a hundred years," came the calm reply. Hanley was struck by a sense of deja vu by the entire affair. It was too much like the one-sided screaming matches she'd have with her grandfather after he tossed her around like an old sack.

It certainly put the fight into a new perspective.

"Watch your words!" Sanji managed to get the last word in, although it didn't do much good. Luffy happily walked up to him as he pulled himself from the debris and brushed his suit off.

"Hey, that's good! You got permission from the owner. So, you can become a pirate, now!"

Sanji snapped, "Who wants to?"

This scenario was also very familiar.

Hanley rubbed her chin. "Hm, I just had a thought. Even after all that, he still has that cigarette in his mouth."

"Hanley..." Nami sighed.

"What? I admit, I'm a little impressed."

And just like that, Hanley found herself being seated at a new table, Nami right beside her, with Sanji smoothing an already crisp, white tablecloth.

"I am happy, no, thrilled, I was able to impress you in some small way. I do apologize for the mess and the disruption this must have caused you. As an apology, is there anything you ladies would like?"

Zoro was absolutely right. The man really was bipolar. There seriously was very little explanation for the mood swings. Either that, or he truly was a hopeless flirt. While Hanley floundered, Nami wasted no time in batting her eyelashes.

"Well, I've always wanted to try a fruit parfait-"

"Say no more! And what may I serve you?"

Feeling more than a little slow, Hanley started, "...Wh-"

"She'll have one as well! Thanks so much!" Hanley sent Nami a sour look as Sanji made a beeline for the kitchen.

"You have no shame, do you? What's with that cutesy voice?"

"It works, doesn't it? Men can be so easy."

'And yet _my_ moral compass is put into question, Nami?'

Hanley leaned her elbows on the table, throwing etiquette out the window. "Are they? Are they really?"

"Hm, sounds like someone is still upset about a dine-and-dash incident-"

"It made no _sense_, Nami. It made no. Sense."

"Just remember that you still have to tell me about it."

"No sense at all!"

"Anyway, this is good! We might get a free meal out of this..." Nami trailed off and smiled brightly when Sanji returned.

"At least he's fast."

"It is my pleasure. Here are your parfaits." His hands were practically a blur as he set down the tall glasses and silverware. He then pulled a bottle of wine out of _nowhere _and carefully pulled out the cork. "I have also brought you a Grand Mane wine; it's a little unusual, but I think you will find that the slight bitterness is a perfect compliment to your dessert."

"You'd know better than me," Hanley said as she picked up a fork. She wasn't a big alcohol drinker-Master Thai didn't really keep any in the house and she had other things to spend her money on.

Nami went right back to playing it up. "You're very kind."

"No need to thank me, Ma'am." Sanji all but hovered over them, ready to wait on them hand and foot. Hanley was beginning to think his complex put hers to shame.

"Well, I mean, this really is nice..." Hanley took a large bite out of the parfait and nearly melted. It was really, really good! The flavor, the texture-she had never had anything like it! Master Thai certainly wasn't a bad cook, but if this was an example of Sanji's skill...

'I hope we can convince him.' Hanley never had to use any feminine wiles before, but she was certainly willing to learn if it got her food this good on a daily basis. Poor Luffy was stuck eyeing her parfait longingly, as if it was more lover than food item (then again, it was Luffy). As he was the servant boy, he didn't get so much as a crumb; Usopp and Zoro didn't fare much better, only getting a cup of hot tea from a clearly disinterested Sanji.

Naturally, the difference in treatment didn't go unnoticed. Usopp was quick to point out the injustice immediately.

"What about us? This is so unfair, Gallant Chef!"

"I've ordered you hot tea, and you're still unsatisfied, asshole?" Sanji growled.

"What? You wanna fight? Beat him up, Zoro!"

"Why don't you do that yourself?" Zoro asked. His response went unheard, however, as Usopp found something else to complain about.

"You don't even take dishes away from a man!" He pointed furiously at their dirty dishes to emphasize his point.

Sanji blinked lazily and blew out a puff of smoke. "You haven't finished your mushroom. Eat it."

"I left it because I hate mushrooms." Usopp retorted, stressing each syllable as if Sanji was lacking in intelligence. He even went so far as to invade Sanji's personal space, his long nose actually poking him in the forehead. "I ate a poison mushroom when I was young."

"But this isn't a poison mushroom, so eat it!"

"What a racket..." Nami calmly licked her spoon and set it down in the glass. She clasped her hands to her chest and widened her eyes. "Would you stop fighting for me?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Sanji quickly straightened and smiled winningly at her, completely ignoring Usopp's shouting. Nami coyly motioned him over and placed a gentle hand on his cheek.

"By the way...the food here is quite expensive for me, so..."

"Don't worry. It's on the house for you-"

"I'm so happy! Thank you very much!" Nami threw her arms around Sanji's neck, and for a long moment Hanley feared it would have been too much for his woman-loving heart. Fortunately, he managed to collect himself long enough to tell Usopp and Zoro that they would still have to pay.

Hanley slowly shook her head.

"Nami. Seriously? I cannot believe you. It was just-"

"You didn't see the menu, but the fruit parfait costs about three thousand beri."

"...I'm sorry, it costs how much?"

"Three thousand! So, it you want to pay that-"

"Sanji!" Hanley called, adopting a sorrowful expression on her face. She drew the line at cutesy voices, though. "It's a little embarrassing to admit, but I'll also have a hard time paying for that parfait..."

"Don't worry! I would never dream of forcing you to endure any hardship! And please, do not feel embarrassed." Sanji held up a hand as if to wave her concerns aside, and Hanley found herself becoming embarrassed anyway, only for an entirely different reason. Still, she managed to clear her throat and give him a weak smile.

"Thank you! You're great."

"Not you, too, Hanley!" Usopp groaned while Sanji swooned.

"Not bad for a first try," Nami said as she idly swirled the wine in her glass. The effect was eerily diabolical. It was getting to the point that Hanley was beginning to reevaluate just who was the most dangerous one on their crew. Zoro and Luffy may have incredible physical power, but she didn't exactly have to worry about mind games from that quarter.

Hanley sighed. "I feel a little bad-"

"That will pass."

'My god, I'm starting to become a little frightened.'

"He's a really funny guy, isn't he?" Luffy helped himself to Usopp's tea as the other refused to drink it on principle. The group watched as said funny guy fawned over two young women who just entered the restaurant.

'Although, it's a little hard to feel sorry for a guy who makes it that easy-' Hanley yelped when Sanji's foot suddenly crashed onto Luffy's head.

"You are a servant! You don't have a right to sit with our customers!" He shouted as he grabbed a dazed Luffy by the scruff of his neck and dragged him towards the kitchen. Hanley sighed and buried her face in her hands.

What the hell were they going to do now?

* * *

It turned out that the answer was very little at the moment.

Both parties were at a standstill and neither could exactly give in. The Straw Hat crew couldn't very well leave their captain behind for a year, and Luffy had no interest in delaying his pirating adventures for much longer. The damage he caused around Baratie made him more of a liability than an asset, but Zeff (Hanley finally learned that old guy's name), was determined that Luffy pay back the damage he caused in full.

Unfortunately, as Luffy kept _adding_ to the accidental damage, he could end up staying there indefinitely.

"There has to be some way to get out of this mess!" Hanley let out a shout of frustration and pulled at her hair. One day had passed by already. Zoro let out a grunt of agreement as he continued to lift weights, while Nami merely shrugged without looking up from a newspaper.

"It can't be helped right now, Hanley."

"Tsunami!...You know, if you pitched in we could probably pay for the roof-"

"I told you before: that's my money and I'm not giving away one. Single. Beri...and what did you call me?"

Hanley huffed and paced the deck for a bit, stepping over a still recovering Yosaku and Johnny. She had only recently learned why they were so beat up, and Hanley wished that asshole Fullbody was still around so she could exact her revenge. Stupid, arrogant Marine. Who fires cannons around civilians?

"Should've stayed around to grind his bones to make my bread-"

"You're always so tense, Hanley. Tell you what, it's nearly time for lunch. Let's go see what we can get."

"Ha! You mean let's go see what Sanji will give away this time, right?"

Nami gave a wicked smile and hopped off the stairs. "You'll feel better. I saw their chocolate cake-it looks excellent."

"Hmph! You can enjoy such a cavalier attitude because you don't have to pay!" Usopp tossed his tools down on the deck with a sigh. It seemed someone was still sore over yesterday's incident. "But we can't afford to stay here forever!"

"Yeah...we'll have to think of something and fast. Maybe earn more money somehow..." Hanley rubbed her cheek and sighed.

"Right. Hanley, help me down, won't you?" Nami waved at her from the port bow. When it looked as if they wouldn't be leaving all that soon, they simply attached a mooring rope to one of the metal poles stuck in Baratie's platform. It was better than rowing the dinghy back and forth. Besides, it made it all the more quicker and easier for Hanley to see Luffy. He wasn't even allowed to sleep on the Going Merry last night; instead, he was forced to stay with the rest of the chefs on Baratie's upper deck. She had yet to see him today, and she had to admit she was getting a little worried.

'Oh Ace, would you have given me so much trouble?' Hanley mulled on that for all of two seconds. 'Yes. Yes you would have'

"I'm coming, I'm coming..." Hanley picked up their navigator and slid down the thick rope, making sure to land lightly so she wouldn't jar her passenger.

"Thanks. What a nice way to travel."

'You would like having someone cart you around like a pack mule.' The thought held no real heat as Hanley pushed open the swinging doors.

"Ah! Hello, ladies!~" Sanji spotted them first, unsurprisingly, and he practically floated to them.

Nami quickly intercepted him. "Oh, I'm so happy to see you! There isn't any good food on our ship, so-"

"Say no more. I will gladly slave over a hot stove so that I may ease your hunger."

'Wow. Seriously.' Hanley was a little more used to the fawning, so her lips merely twitched upwards in amusement rather than her turning red.

"Hey, Sanji-san. Where's Luffy?"

"He's in the-" Whatever else he was going to say was cut off by the sound of dishes breaking. Furious shouts and curses followed soon after as Luffy was forcefully evicted from the kitchen. Hanley sighed. That fucking figures.

"Oi, servant! Help serve the customers! Oh, this way, ladies." Sanji led them to a table and eagerly pulled out their chairs for them.

"Hi, Hanley! D'you bring any bacon?" As usual, Luffy was completely unaffected by the chaos he caused.

"Hanuman, I see you're causing trouble. No bacon for you until you're no longer an indentured servant."

"What? Aw, Hanley..."

Hanley merely clucked her tongue, refusing to be moved _again_ by his mournful calf eyes. A girl had to draw the line somewhere, right?

Although, surely a piece wouldn't hurt-no, be strong!

Sanji waxed poetically over their beauty once more before heading into the kitchen to serve them personally. He grabbed Luffy by the ear as he did so.

"I'm a little excited. I can't wait to try their lobster." Nami, on the other hand, only had her eyes on the prize.

"Well, I wouldn't mind having some oysters..."

"That's the spirit. You'll be used to this in no time!"

"Haha, taking me under your wing, are you?"

"What can I say? Even I am able to be moved by hopeless cases." Nami cheerfully ignored Hanley's twitching eyebrow as she perused the menu. She had such an intense look of concentration on her face Hanley idly wondered when the situation became so serious.

'Still, what to do…Hanuman's stuck and Sanji is being obstinate. I really, really don't want to leave without a chef! We'll starve or poison ourselves otherwise!' It took an act of willpower to keep her lower lip from pushing out into a pout. She was freaking twenty years old, after all.

"You should relax. Think of this as an all expense paid vacation," Nami said, brightening when Sanji returned, carrying two silver serving platters. Luffy was trailing behind him, probably kicked out of the kitchen again.

"Oh, I have no doubt you're not going to pay for anything. Oh, fish!" The aroma from the smoked salmon made her mouth water. She was having a hard time feeling guilty when she was getting served like this.

"This is great!" Nami had already cracked open the lobster's exoskeleton and was happily drizzling butter on the soft meat.

'Wow, she moves fast.'

Hanley coughed before picking up her knife and fork. "Oh, that's right…Sanji-san? Do you have time to sit down? I want to ask you some questions-" She jumped when he suddenly pulled up a chair and sat down beside her, visible eye a-glow.

"You wish to speak to me? Oh, if I were worthy."

Hanley bravely ignored her reddening cheeks.

"Ah…yes…right. Anyway, it's about Hanuman picking you as our chef. I think I sort of understand where you're coming from, but I was curious about you and-"

A woman's scream pierced the air, followed by the sound of glass shattering on the ground.

"What the hell? Can't I finish a goddamned senten-" Hanley began, turning to look for the cause of the shout.

"T-That's Don Krieg's pirate ship!"

Surely, she heard wrong.

She didn't hear that. That man must have misspoke, or, perhaps it was mistaken identity. Surely that was it. Hanley was barely aware of carefully placing her fork and knife on the plate and looking out the large, open windows that faced out into the sea. The former view was blocked, however, by a massive wall of wood. It took her only a few seconds to realize she was starting at a giant galleon. It was constructed of dark wood, while it was too close to see the upper decks and masts properly, Hanley had a pretty good idea of just how far Krieg had come in the past ten years. But more obvious than that…

'What the hell happened to that ship? Even from here-the keel, the bow spirit…and is that part of the foremast hanging from the rigging? The structure's been severely compromised-'

Sanji took a deep drag from his cigarette; his expression was completely serious, a stark difference from earlier.

"That huge ship must have been through some kind of natural disaster." Sanji's words echoed her thoughts. "I highly doubt that was the work of an enemy crew."

"Yeah…" Hanley muttered, hands twitching as if she couldn't decide what to do with them.

Hanley had tried not to think about Don Krieg too much. He was her boogeyman, so to speak-the first real bad guy she had ever met in her life. It was a shock to see such evil in a human being; her sheltered life in no way prepared her for it. The greed, the blood lust…she never really forgot.

It was Krieg who really and truly forced her to realize just how much her life had changed.

He was the cause of many sleepless nights, driven by near terror and recalling how close he had come to slicing her head clean off her body. How it was only pure, unadulterated luck that she was alive to tell the tale. If she hadn't slipped, if Krieg hadn't been so furious…oh, she knew.

So Hanley didn't know what exactly to expect when the doors burst open. She recognized Krieg's massive form immediately. He was still taller than her, no matter how much she grew, and she didn't even come close to matching the deep trunk of his torso and broad arms. And that face! She would know that hateful face anywhere. His form was stooped, however, supported by a slender man who didn't look much better than he did.

Her magatama was on fire.

"Tsunami…go back to the Going Merry and prepare to set sail," Hanley whispered, her eyes never wavering from Krieg. The only reason she knew Nami even listened to her was the sound of a chair slowly being pushed back from the table and a light touch on her shoulder.

"Excuse us…could you give me some food and water? The money is not a problem." His voice even sounded the same, although it wavered a bit from weakness this time.

Hatred shot through her so suddenly she surprised herself, but she didn't get bothered by it. If there was anyone worth hating in her life, it would be the man who nearly took it.

'Are you truly hungry, Krieg? Or is this another trick? I hope you are hungry-starving! I hope you die. Why didn't you have the courtesy to die in the water those years ago?' Hanley grit her teeth.

"What's this? Is this shabby looking man Krieg?" one of the chefs exclaimed in surprise.

"He looks so hungry and thirsty…" Luffy commented with unusual thoughtfulness.

Sanji rolled his cigarette between his teeth. "What's going on?"

The entire restaurant seemed to jump when Krieg suddenly pitched forward and collapsed onto the floor. Hanley watched motionless as the other man, no doubt one of his filthy followers, called out for him and shook him. As if Krieg were worth such a thing!

"Please," Krieg repeated, "give me some food…"

"Please help him, or he'll die!" The young man was on his knees, one of his hands resting on Krieg's back while the other was reaching toward the crowd.

No one in the restaurant moved.

Suddenly, the same chef from earlier, the one with a piece of rope tied around his head, burst out into disbelieving laughter.

"Is this really Don Krieg? This is impossible, the scariest pirate in East Blue?"

"We have money, so we are your customers!"

"Money taken from defenseless villages, no doubt! I can only imagine the wretched things he's pulled!" Hanley snapped, unable to stop herself. The other customers muttered in agreement, many nodding.

"Blood money, exactly that. Probably the spoils from some massacre."

"This guy must be joking…feed Krieg? He's a terror and a devil!"

"We should let him suffer as we have suffered!"

"Contact the marines now," ordered the chef with the rope band, "there won't be another chance like this. I won't give him any food, and I'll turn him in."

Hanley had little respect for the Marines, but she couldn't disagree with his plan. The crowd was overwhelmingly supportive as well.

"That's good! If he regains his strength, I don't know what will happen to us!"

"Bad people like him should suffer!"

"He's done many terrible things, this is justice!"

"There's also a chance that if he regains his strength, he'll destroy our restaurant."

"We won't even give him a cup of water."

Krieg suddenly moved, causing the audience to step back. Hanley tensed and prepared herself to spring up. She knew it, it was a trick! Just something to get into the restaurant and-

Krieg got onto his hands and knees, his forehead touching the ground in the deepest bow possible.

"If you give me some food and water, I will peacefully leave. So, please, help me…"

Hanley was unmoved, and if anything, it just pissed her off even further. Even if he left like he said, how the hell were they supposed to trust that he wouldn't return? She helped him before like this, hadn't she? And what did she have to show for it?

"Help you," she hissed, so full of hatred she was making herself ill, "why don't you lie there and lick the floor if you're so desperately hungry?"

Luffy turned back to stare at her, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Hanley…"

"He can eat dirt, or even better, die like a dog."

"Boss, please," Krieg's crew-member begged, "a great man like you shouldn't bow your head for something like this!"

Oh that fucking did it. Krieg? A great man?

"If he can't get on his knees and beg at this time, then when? Don't make me laugh!"

Krieg slowly raised his head and looked her in the eye. Hanley managed to hold his gaze, barely so, but she couldn't stop the slight flinch when his eyes lit up in recognition.

"You…"

Hanley clenched her fists and swallowed. "I'm so flattered, Krieg. You would remember a little unkempt girl from years ago?"

"I will…never forget that night…"

"No…I suppose you wouldn't…you would never forget that sort of defeat at Shanks' hands. How galling that must have been."

"Patty, move." Sanji's voiced sounded clipped as he punted the chef to the side with careless ease. To Hanley's shock, he held a platter nearly overflowing with meat and rice, as well as a bottle of some kind of liquid. "Here. Give this to him, Gin."

"Sanji-san!" Gin cried out in relief.

"Sanji-kun, what are you doing?" Hanley cried, forgetting her momentary paralysis. She was on her feet and walking towards him. "You know who that is? He doesn't deserve food, he deserves a lynching!"

But it was too late. Krieg was practically inhaling the food. Hanley shook her head in dismay while others began to shout.

"Sanji, don't you understand what you just did? He is the trickiest pirate in all of East Blue! He used to be a prisoner, then he joined the Marines! He then killed the leader of the ship and took it over! From there, he became a pirate!"

'I wonder what he was when he first met,' Hanley couldn't help but think.

"Sometimes, he pretends to be a Marine and attacks towns. Or he'll use a white flag to trick enemy ships. He doesn't care what strategy he uses so long as he wins! Once he's done eating, I don't think he'll leave! Just let that worthless man die, for the peace of the world-!"

To their horror, Krieg suddenly shot to his feet and caught Sanji across the neck with a ruthless clothesline. It hit with such force that there was an ominous sounding crack followed by the sounds of Sanji choking. Screams filled the air as Sanji was flung back with ease. The attack seemed to be the customers' cue to exit through the other side of the restaurant. It was a veritable stampede as they raced for their cruise ship.

"We have to get out of here before we're killed!"

"Sanji-kun!" Hanley quickly dove to the side and managed to catch him with her entire body. She gave a grunt as his shoulders slammed into her chest, but she had the foresight to jerk her head to the side before his skull crashed into her chin. Hanley wrapped an arm around his torso and grabbed a fistful of his jacket to keep him from sliding to the floor.

"Dammit, this is just like him! Sanji-kun, are you okay? How's your neck, can you move your limbs?" A blow to the neck like that could easily kill or permanently cripple a normal man. Sanji made a gasping sound, blood dripping down his chin, and Hanley's rage grew. Don Krieg…what a vile, hateful man!

"Sanji-kun, please answer me!"

He muttered something, and concerned that he was unable to breath or speak properly with a damaged neck, she carefully eased them to the floor. She wrapped her right around his shoulders to cradle his head and neck, while her thigh supported his lower back. Hanley gently checked his throat. Miraculously, it seemed perfectly fine other than the bruising that was beginning to show. His Adam's apple wasn't damaged and the spinal column seemed straight. From the way his head snapped back she was so _sure…_

Hanley leaned over to check the rest of his body as well. She was no doctor, but Master Thai had shown her enough so that she could patch herself up on the battle field. Being able to keep herself from bleeding to death was a rather important skill, he said.

"…die…" Sanji muttered, and Hanley managed to catch a word that time. Oh no, was she going to hear his last request? It was the least she could do.

"I'm listening. And don't worry, I'll make sure Krieg-"

"I can die in peace, now!" Sanji's joyous exclamation filled the air, and his face was a picture of bliss.

"… … … … … …What?"

"So this is what it's like to be held in a woman's comforting embrace! I can pass on peacefully!"

'Sanji-kun. Is this really the time?'

"Are you sure you're not dying?"

"I feel happy!" he continued.

Hanley had little choice but to drop his ass.

"Please do not feel free to take advantage of the situation."

To her surprise, the man named Gin looked relieved that Sanji wasn't quite dead, and he whirled on his captain.

"What's the meaning of this? The only reason I brought you here was because you promised me that you wouldn't hurt anyone! And that's the man who saved my life!"

'So there is honor among Krieg's filth. And Sanji-kun saved his life?'

"This feeling is really great!" Krieg shouted as he stopped Gin's shouting by wrapping one large hand around the other's throat. The casual cruelty didn't shock her one bit.

"So, this is what you want?" Sanji wiped the blood from his chin, grimacing.

"This is a very good restaurant. So I will take it." Krieg confirmed with unparalleled arrogance. Fortunately, he dropped Gin before the man passed out from lack of air. He rubbed his throat and gasped.

"Captain Krieg…what about your promise?"

"Are you alright, Gin?" cried Luffy in concern. Hanley got the feeling that she was really missing something.

Well, no matter. Krieg had to be dealt with somehow!

Krieg sneered. "Our ship is worn out, so I want a new one. After we're done, you'd better get the hell out of here."

"I guess what they say about old dogs and new tricks is true," Hanley bit out.

"Hmph. You've certainly grown…what was your name?"

She hesitated before finally deciding to answer.

"Hanley."

"Ah, that's right…Hanley. If you do as you're told, woman, you can escape with your life. Am I not being merciful?"

Hanley's eyes narrowed. "The arrogance of someone who got beaten so easily astonishes me. How dare you look at me in such a way, _Glass Jaw_."

If looks could kill, she would have died on the spot.

"Woman, it looks like you could do with someone putting you in your place. If not for the extenuating circumstances, I would be happy to do so. As it stands, right now, I have about one hundred crewmen on my ship! They are all starving and injured. First, prepare some food for one hundred people and give it to them. There were many that died from starvation. Now, hurry up!"

"You want us to bring food to your pirates?" one of the chefs cried in disbelief. "And when they regain their strength, they will attack us all! I refuse to!"

"Refuse? It seems that you misunderstand. I did not ask you to serve my crew. This is an order. Whoever dares to refuse must die!"

'Dammit, what can we do?'

"Sanji-san, I'm sorry! I never thought it would be this way!" Gin cried, still hunched over on the ground.

"You didn't know? Don't you know who your captain is?" Hanley shrieked, not in the mood to be sympathetic. _She_ certainly wasn't surprised by this turn of events!

Patty cursed. "This is all of your fault! Sanji, where are you going?" While they were shouting, Sanji had managed to pull himself to his feet and was walking away from the scene.

"To the kitchen," came Sanji's far too calm reply (complete with a flick of his cigarette), "I'll prepare food for one hundred people."

"It was the blow, wasn't it? It was Krieg's blow that did this. Perhaps I shouldn't have dropped him," murmured Hanley.

Sanji somehow heard her, as he gave her a rakish grin. "Make no mistake-I, too, wish I could have stayed in your arms; however, this is a man's conviction!"

"Wow, Sanji-kun, you're…" Hanley searched for the words she wanted to use to convey her feelings, "…kind of a dork, aren't you?"

Sanji coughed. "In any case, I must prepare this food."

"Sanji-san…" Gin muttered.

"Heh, that's the best decision." Krieg's arrogant smirk grew wider.

However, the chefs were of a different mindset. They immediately surrounded him, flintlocks raised and ready to fire.

"Don't you dare shoot him!" Hanley shouted.

"Ha, you agree with our position, don't you, miss?" the chef closest to her asked.

"Well, I admit I wanted to give him a few well-placed jabs for feeding the asshole, but this is too much!"

"Hmph, we wouldn't be forced to do this if he would stop acting like Don Krieg's pet!" shouted another chef.

"We won't let you into the kitchen, Sanji," someone else agreed, "so stop doing foolish things!"

Sanji opened his arms wide.

"What are you waiting for? If you want to stop me, why don't you shoot me now?"

'Save me from hard-headed men!'

"I know how bad these people are, make no mistake about that. But! That is none of my business. When I give people some food, I don't think about any consequences that may occur. For a chef, if there is someone asking for food, then he must cook for him. What's wrong with that?"

Hanley took a deep breath. "Hanuman…I think I see why you want him to be our chef."

Luffy's only response was to smile widely at her.

The moment was broken when Patty came up from behind and hit Sanji on the back of the head, sending him face first onto the floor.

"Patty!" a chef snapped.

"Tie him up," Patty growled. While the others moved to obey, he continued speaking. "Sanji! You always sneaked food from the kitchen and gave it to the people I kicked off. I won't say whether that's wrong or right, but this time it's definitely your fault! I won't let you do anything anymore! I will protect this restaurant!"

Sanji didn't say anything to Patty's words, but he really didn't have to; the dangerous expression on his face and the silence were quite telling.

"We're lucky we only have one enemy, even if he is Don Krieg. I don't think he can beat us. This place is a floating restaurant with many pirates as our customers. So, we have to be well prepared," Patty continued as he pulled out something from under a cloth. Hanley cringed at the sight of a large gun in the shape of…well, she wasn't even sure. The whiskers reminded her of a catfish, but the dead, soulless gaze was reminiscent of a den den mushi (she never quite got over the shock of first seeing one).

"After the meal, why don't you have some dessert? Syrup Cannon!" Patty aimed and fired the gun. The explosion was deafening in close quarters, but Krieg didn't look worried as it struck him in the chest and exploded, causing smoke to fill the air.

"Captain!" Gin screamed as Krieg was sent flying through the doors onto the outside platform.

Hanley shook her head, biting her thumbnail. Her magatama had yet to calm down in all this time; as a matter of fact, it got even more intense-to the point she feared it would set her shirt on fire.

"No…that's too easy."

"I broke the door?" Patty said easily as he stroked his chin. "That's bad. Honor will be so upset."

"Don't worry. You did it to protect the restaurant," assured the chef with sunglasses.

"And what are you going to do with the rest of Krieg's crew?" Sanji asked, his expression was still stony.

"Hmph! Just spread them with butter and burn them up." Patty shouldered his gun.

"That sounds delicious, baldy!" Krieg's voice shot through their celebrating.

"That's crazy!" Patty screamed as Krieg walked back into the door. His leopard print shirt was completely blown away to reveal a thick breast plate and pauldrons that looked to be made of gold, trimmed with fur.

"Your dessert tasted very bad."

"Goddamn that Krieg!" Hanley cursed.

"Ha! I haven't forgotten you, woman. I think I will put you in your place after all!"

Patty leaped forward with a battle cry. "It's just armor! We can take him! Go, everyone!"

"Tch! This is annoying!" Then Krieg's armor opened to reveal a literal arsenal. Two guns were revealed on both shoulders, while six came out of the armor on his side. He began firing at the mob that was about to rush him, and unlike the Marines, his bullets hit their intended targets. The chefs screamed as they fell. No one was outright killed due to sheer luck.

"Don't ever go against me, you weaklings! I am the strongest man, remember that! The powerful arms, the iron body," he held up his right fist which gleamed in the sun, "the diamond fist that can destroy everything, and my arsenal of secret weapons. I have more than five thousand men and an armada of fifty ships! I always win, and everyone accepts my power! So when I order you to prepare food, you have to do so no matter what! Anyone who dares disobey me-!"

"Honor Zeff?" one of the chefs cried as the old man calmly walked up to Krieg with a large sack on his back. He placed the large bag on the ground and crossed his arms.

"You want food for one hundred people, right? Take this back to your crew."

"Oh my god, he and Sanji-kun, they're alike! They're totally alike!" Hanley pulled at her short, black hair.

"Seems that way!…Why are you shouting, though?" Luffy asked.

"The situation seemed to call for it, Hanuman; please read the atmosphere."

Krieg looked vaguely surprised as he stared at the old chef.

"Zeff? You're Zeff?"

One of the injured men managed to prop himself up into a sitting position.

"What are you thinking, Honor? If we let these pirates have food, once they regain their strength they'll take over the ship!"

"That will depend on their spirits!" Zeff replied, "Isn't that right, fugitives from Grand Line?" That simple statement caused them to go into an uproar.

"U-Unbelievable! Krieg is a fugitive from Grand Line?"

"Even the most powerful pirate in East Blue and his ships?"

"They still can't live on the Grand Line!"

Gin seemed to wilt under the cries, as if the mere mention of the place was too much for him. Krieg, however, was interested in only one thing.

"You are…Zeff the Red Leg!"

Zeff gave a grunt and looked highly annoyed.

"And?"

"You are still alive, Zeff the Red Leg? The famous pirate who was both captain and chef on his ship?"

"So what if I am still alive? It's none of your business. As you can see, I now just live as a chef."

'I had no idea that old guy was like that…'

"Hahaha, it's so lucky for me. The way I see it, you 'have' to be a chef because you have no choice left!"

Hanley couldn't help but glance at his peg leg. It made her think of Shanks' arm and it made her worry.

When Zeff didn't answer, Krieg continued. "Simply put, you are not the same Zeff that I used to know. When people talk about Zeff, they think of the man who has a very powerful kick. And every time he fought, he's never used his hands. Your kick could destroy a whole cliff. Even if you kicked iron, your foot would leave a mark. The name 'Red Leg' came from that powerful kick. Every time you kicked an enemy, his blood would cover your leg and change it to red."

'That's…lovely. Ugh.'

"Even though you did not die in an accident as I have heard, you have lost one leg, which means you have no more power."

"Even though I can't fight, I can still cook as long as I have these two arms. What is your point by saying these things?" Zeff looked neither impressed nor intimidated by the information Krieg had on him. Then again, he had lived it and didn't need the recap.

Krieg jerked his thumb toward his chest. "You've been to Grand Line and back. During that time, you must have written a journal. I want to have that journal from you."

"Wow! You've been to Grand Line?" Luffy looked a little star-struck, completely forgetting about the massive man with gun armor.

"Didn't I tell you to read the atmosphere, Hanuman?" Hanley grasped his vest and pulled him back.

"Well! My journal? I still have it, yes, but I won't give it to you. That journal is the pride of my crew and myself while we were traveling together. It is too much if I give it to you."

"Hmph, so I'll have to use my strength to get it from you? No matter! Even though I'm a fugitive from Grand Line, I am still Don Krieg, the strongest man in East Blue! I can get through Grand Line if I have enough men and power. I've never been afraid of that place like many other wimps. I lost because I didn't have enough information-that's why I need that journal." Krieg picked up the large sack of food and slung it over his shoulder. "After I get that journal, I will gather men and go back to Grand Line. I will acquire 'One Piece,' the ultimate treasure, and I will be the greatest pirate of all!"

Hanley saw Luffy twitch at that declaration, and it was all she could do not to groan. She knew what was coming next.

Luffy jabbed a finger in Krieg's direction. "Wait a minute! I am the one who will be the greatest pirate, not you!"

"Hanuman, this isn't-" Hanley began, only for Luffy to walk towards Krieg. His bravery was admirable, as always.

And she could only stand and watch, as always.

Luffy rolled his shoulders and tilted his chin back in clear defiance. The difference in size and build bordered on ludicrous. Krieg, with his shining armor and powerful body, cut a far more impressive figure than a young man barely out of boyhood who wore a straw hat and an apron.

"Come back here! You'll get killed!" Patty shouted.

"No way! This is the only thing I can't concede!" Luffy never lost his confident smile.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, Krieg wasn't taking Luffy seriously…yet.

"What the hell are you saying, kid? You can take your words back."

"I don't have to take them back because I speak the truth."

Krieg's expression grew darker by the second as his ire grew in leaps and bounds.

"This is not a joke."

"I know."

Suddenly, a very familiar voice cut through the tense silence.

"Did you hear that? Krieg said he couldn't get through Grand Line!"

Hanley whirled and nearly did a double take. "Usopp, Zoro? When the hell did you two get here?"

"Got a little worried when Nami came back to the ship and told us what happened. She and Yosaku and Johnny are watching it right now." Zoro had an easy grin on his face as he shouldered his main katana, the one in the white sheath. He and Usopp were currently sitting at a table off to the side.

"Don't be upset," Usopp continued, "but I don't think we should go there."

"You'd better shut up," came Zoro's nonchalant reply. "Anyway, are you going to fight, Luffy? Need some help?"

"Huh, I didn't see you guys over there…" Luffy muttered.

"You guys are pieces of work!" Hanley interrupted. Their conversation tapered off when Krieg gave a snort of laughter. Slowly, but surely, his amusement began to build until he was nearly bellowing .

"Are they your crew? They're only a bunch of kids!"

"That's not all! I have three more!" Luffy held up three fingers to demonstrate.

Sanji looked put out. "Are you including me in that?"

"Stop joking, kid! Because I lacked information, my five thousand men were destroyed in seven days on that sea!"

That statement put the entire restaurant in an uproar. Various shouts of disbelief echoed through the building while Usopp nearly sobbed.

"Did you hear that? Fifty ships were destroyed in one week!"

"Heh, that's interesting!" Zoro, naturally, wasn't all that bothered. Honestly, he and Luffy really did deserve each other.

"Hmph, I am not joking-I hate that. If anyone doesn't believe me, I'll kill that person."

Hanley's lips thinned and she walked up behind Luffy and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Krieg, I totally believe you failed in that venture."

"Children and women," Krieg sneered, "don't make me laugh. That night ten years ago was shameful, but even I can concede I wasn't fully prepared. That crew was full of experienced men and I miscalculated; you, however…I will crush you. And when I catch up to that fool Shanks, I will also crush him beneath my feet! You pathetic excuses for pirates disgust me!"

"You never learn! Even after all this time you're still spouting that ridiculous bullshit!"

"You should give up, woman! Your kind has no business being on a ship!"

"My _what_?"

Later, Hanley would wonder just how much of her mind she's lost to have the nerve to stand there and yell at Krieg. But she couldn't let it go; her hatred simply wouldn't let it go. And seeing Luffy challenge the man without any sort of fear stirred up memories of the early days of their friendship back in Fuusha and that mountain bandit. Higuma had nothing on Krieg in her mind-could she just remain in the background and let Luffy…

No; no she couldn't.

Hanley wasn't that cringing little girl anymore. She was strong now, or at least, she had gotten stronger. And the thought of Krieg laying one meaty finger on Luffy infuriated her. So what if Luffy could take care of himself?

It was just as well that Luffy was a rubber man-if he wasn't, the poor guy's bones would have been ground into dust by now.

"I don't have time to waste on you. I'll be going to feed my men now. Think this over while my crew are eating: I will be back, and if you don't want to die, you had better leave in the meantime."

"We won't die," Luffy said, ignoring Hanley's crushing grip.

"Tch. Then I'll squash you personally."

Hanley snapped. "One finger, just one, and I'll rip out your throat. I owe you for that night."  
"You can't be serious."

"Do I look like I'm joking? You'll get Luffy over my dead body."

Krieg only laughed and turned his back on her.

"Now that, woman, is something I can arrange. Just stay here like a fool and endure my wrath." And he was gone, soon after. The entire restaurant was silent, only the sounds of his heavy footsteps carried through the until even they faded.

"Well," Hanley began lightly, "I was hoping I'd never see him again."

"You really hate him, Hanley," commented Luffy.

"You met him before?" Usopp asked.

Hanley managed to pry her hands off Luffy's shoulders. "Yeah…ten years ago. Don't misunderstand, Sanji-kun, I know where you're coming from. That's why I, too, tried to help him years ago. I had barely survived a shipwreck and had drifted under the hot sun for who knows how long, myself. The feeling of having no food and no water…I never want to experience it again."

Hanley sighed and rubbed her eyes. She had managed to get the attention of everyone, chefs included. Sanji, for once, wasn't looking at her with love-struck eyes. He only nodded somberly; Hanley guessed he knew, too.

"Anyway, I was lucky when Shanks' crew spotted me in the water. They nursed me back to health…I was so grateful I would have done anything for them," once she got over her shock of where she ended up, "and it was only a little later that we saw another man drifting in the sea. That man…was Krieg.

Whoever said all that about Krieg was right. He was alone, then, and he said some punks stole his ship and left him to rot. I couldn't leave him out there, not after what happened to me; so, I asked Shanks to bring him in. That night…that night it was so foggy, and I couldn't sleep. I went onto the main deck for some fresh air…and Krieg came out of nowhere. He had taken care of the watch, and his men were sneaking on board. He called it the 'Blitzkrieg.' I was so scared-I had never been so scared in my life. I can't even describe the terror I felt, then. I thought I was going to die, I thought Shanks and Ishamon-sensei and Yasopp-san and everyone else was going to die, and it would have been my fault. Well, fortunately, it didn't work out. The attack was foiled, but Krieg was so enraged he attacked me. He…nearly took my head off. It wasn't like that mountain bandit, Hanuman; Krieg…he was on an entirely different level. I hate him so much I can barely see straight right now."

Luffy nodded thoughtfully, focused on the door where Krieg left a few moments ago.

"I gotcha…so, what're you gonna do, Hanley?"

"What…am I going to do?" Hanley whispered dumbly, staring at him. Luffy gave her a sidelong glance and smiled.

"Yeah."

"…I wonder."

"Sanji-san." Gin was still on his knees on the floor. "I am very, very sorry. I never thought it would turn out like this!"

Zeff surprised them all by responding. "You needn't apologize for feeling guilty."

"Eh? I…"

"Everyone always does something for their own sake."

"Honor, even you are protecting Sanji?" shouted Patty. The other chefs looked just as unhappy. Sanji seemed to be content to sit silently, not offering up anything in his defense. This only seemed to spur them on further.

"All of this happened because of Sanji!" one of them shouted bitterly.

"He wants to destroy our restaurant!"

"So, Sanji, have you come up with any good ideas to take Honor's place? That's what you've always wanted, right-"

"Shut up you idiots!" Zeff roared, finally reaching the end of his patience. The rabble quieted immediately-even the Straw Hat pirates didn't dare say anything.

Zeff took a deep breath. "That girl said it best, earlier. Have any of you been through a situation where you had no food to eat or water to drink? Have you ever known the suffering of being without food or drink in the middle of the sea?" He wasn't shouting any longer, but his intense tone held their attention far more effectively.

'I wonder what happened to them…' Hanley thought as she moved her gaze from Zeff to Sanji.

"What are you talking about, Honor?" Patty looked bewildered, and he wasn't the only one.

"I don't have the time to talk about the past," Zeff said instead, jerking his thumb towards the back. "If you want to, why don't you just leave through the back door?"

His subordinates stared at him for all of two seconds before reaching for the previously overlooked pitchforks.

"I will stay here and fight. I won't let him attack our restaurant. We don't have anywhere else to go."

Gin looked shocked as he began shouting, "You've already seen how strong Captain Krieg is! You better get out of here-"

"Gin," Sanji interrupted, finally speaking. He had taken out another cigarette and was already taking deep drags from it. Hanley wondered just how many he had on his person.

"I must tell you," Sanji continued, "that it is my duty as a chef to give food to starving people. But the man who walked out of here is the pirate who robbed our food. So if I'm going to kill him, you have no right to interfere. Whoever dares to take this restaurant, even you, I will kill that person without mercy. Understand?"

Gin stared in shock as Patty let out a growl of frustration. Whatever anger he had earlier had given way to an increasing sense of exasperation with Sanji's behavior.

"You're the one who gave food to him, and now you're going to kill him? What's up with you Sanji, are you out of your mind?"

"Bastard chef…won't you mind your own business?"

"See, see? He's a good guy, right?" Luffy told Usopp as he pointed excitedly in Sanji's direction. Usopp shot him a disgruntled glare.

"I don't care about him! We should get out of here, first!"

"Calm down, the enemy is just a bunch of sick people." Zoro was the ever present voice of reason. Knowing him, Hanley sighed, he probably saw tackling one hundred foes as a challenge.

"I bet you're itching to fight him, aren't you, Luffy?"

Luffy only grinned and scratched his chin. "Hm, I wonder," was his only response, echoing Hanley's earlier reply.

Hanley stared at him in shock. Hell, she'd been positive Luffy would…

"Right, Hanley?" Luffy finished. Hanley sputtered a bit before her eyes narrowed in realization and she focused her gaze on the large galleon still anchored nearby. Maybe…just maybe…

"Oi, Gin!" Luffy turned his attention on the guilt-stricken man on the floor.

"Huh?" came the weak grunt.

"You told us you didn't know anything about Grand Line, but you've been there, right?"

Sanji turned also, curious as well in Gin's reply. Gin cringed and held his head as if he was just punched in the face.

"I don't know anything because I still can't believe what happened to us. After we've been there seven days, I'm still not sure if it was dream or truth. It happened so fast…"

"What did?" Hanley prompted when the man trailed off.

"Fifty powerful ships were destroyed by one man!"

"…I'm sorry, what?" she whispered while others shouted in shock.

Fifty fully manned ships were destroyed by one person? Was such a thing even possible?

'Well, my grandfather certainly seems like the type to try-and good enough to succeed…but I can't believe it didn't occur to me that there could be monsters like that out in the world.' Hanley could almost hear him cackling in her imagination as he hopped from ship to ship, leaving destruction in his wake. Crazy fucking bastard, how could they be related?

And for all she knew, Grand Line could be full of people like that. People who had grown too big for the regular oceans and staked their lives on that fabled sea. Usopp's fear certainly seemed more reasonable, now.

"While we were confused, our ships were sunk one by one. If there wasn't a storm, even our mother ship would have been destroyed. I don't know whether the other ships survived. It's the scariest thing I've ever encountered. It's hard to believe this nightmare when we saw that man's eyes, I thought we were already dead…I don't want to think about that 'Hawk-Eyed Man'!"

"What?" Zoro tensed and jumped up so quickly that Luffy nearly fell over onto the floor from his spot on the table. Zoro wasn't the only one. Hanley had never felt so badly informed as she did now as a great deal of people seemed to know who he was.

"It certainly does sound like the 'Hawk-Eyes Man.' Based on your story, that alone might not be enough evidence to simply possess eyes that look like a hawk's, but if that man is capable of such destruction, we'll have to believe that it was." Zeff managed to look even more grim.

Usopp looked around.

"The Hawk Eyes…oi, do you know who he is?"

"I dunno. Who?" Luffy answered.

"He is the person I am looking for," Zoro finally admitted.

"He wouldn't be why you suddenly started training like the end of the world was near?" Hanley crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly. It made sense, now that she thought about it. Zoro must be itching to fight this "Hawk Eyes" person.

"Yeah…he is the one I must defeat." Zoro's free hand clenched into a fist.

"Geez, you men can be so violent."

"Since he single-handedly attacked all those troops, it must have been something you did," said Sanji.

"I don't remember anything. Everything happened so fast…" Gin trailed off as he worried his lower lip.

Zeff hummed, "Maybe you woke him up from his nap-"

"Don't joke around! If that's true, why would he destroy our fifty ships?"

"If he's that strong, it could have been everything from a personal vendetta to he simply felt like it. My grandfather certainly snapped spines simply because _he_ had the ability to." Hanley noticed Usopp's horrified stare and smiled. "Don't worry, dear! Remind me to tell you about how he made me fight against a small drug cartel."

"I don't want to hear it, it sounds terrifying!" Usopp crossed his arms in front of him as if to ward her off.

"Too bad…well, it's just a note in the long, sad chapter of my traumatic experiences."

"Don't be so upset," Zeff continued over their chatter, "I guess it's because there are many people on Grand Line are like that."

Luffy pumped his fists in excitement while Zoro settled for looking intrigued.

"You mean it's not strange that this happened to them?" he asked.

"Wow, that's so exciting! I really have to go there!" cried Luffy.

Usopp furiously shook his head.

"Aren't you afraid at all?"

'Oh, you have no idea yet, do you, Usopp?'

Zoro grinned. "That settles it, then. That also means my goal is Grand Line since that guy is definitely there."

"…You're crazy. You guys are going to die." Sanji took a long drag from his cigarette.

"That may be, but to say that we are crazy is too much. After I decided that I would become an invincible swordsman, I left my life behind. The only person who the right to say I am crazy is myself."

"Yes, me, too!" Luffy cheered. Usopp crossed his arms.

"That's true for a real man like me."

Zoro lightly tapped his head with the hilt of his sword.

"Stop lying."

Sanji snorted and shook his head in disbelief; Zeff, on the other hand, actually looked pleased with their talk. Hanley bit her lip and tapped her fingers on the table. She looked out at the battered galleon once more before nodding.

"I'm no man, but I can't help but think that bit of logic is appealing." Hanley stretched her arms and bent her fingers to crack her knuckles. "Speaking of which…do you guys have any rope?"

"Eh, rope?" asked Usopp, looking at her curiously.

"Yeah…not thick!"

Zeff tilted his head towards the kitchen.

"Mm, we do have the twine we use to tie up the meat-"

"I'll get it for you!" Sanji was already halfway to the kitchen. Hanley chuckled.

"Oh my, he's really trying to keep my face red! Why can't you be like that, Mr. Zoro-"

"Stop being creepy!" Zoro snapped half-heartedly.

"I'm just saying it would be nice to have some consideration. Then again, you guys are so obsessive."

"That's funny to hear _you_ say something like that."

Luffy swung his legs cheerfully as they hung over the side of the table.

"Oh, so you're going to do that, Hanley!"

"Well, there's going to be some intense fighting, isn't there-oh, thanks, Sanji-kun," she said when he returned with a large spool of rope. Hanley nodded as she inspected the thickness and quality.

"This'll work just great. Besides, when things get tough, y'know?" Hanley began to wrap the rope around her right hand. It had been a long time since she bothered with such a thing. She had wrapped her hands and forearms with rope everyday when she was younger, when her scales hadn't covered her arms yet and her body was still too soft to take powerful hits.

Although, to be honest, what really made her stop binding her fists was due to the damage the treated rope caused. There was no time for it now, but the homemade gloves were far more effective soaked in salt water and allowed to dry. Seeing blood and bits of flesh on her knuckles had literally made her ill, and Master Thai never hesitated to tell her how pathetic _that_ was.

'However, with devils like that Hawk Eyed Man out there, and with Krieg just out the door, I guess I don't have much choice now.'

"You still don't know what's going on, do you?" Patty roared, slamming the butt of his pitch fork on the floor in anger. "The ship that's parked outside the restaurant is the giant galleon that belongs to Don Krieg! It's the scariest ship in East Blue! You can do any crazy thing you want after you take care of that thing!"

As if Patty's rant was a signal, loud cheers and cries began to fill the air, growing louder with every passing second. Hanley finished with her left hand and forearm and nodded. It looked like they had no more time. The chefs with the giant silverware braced themselves and faced the door.

"Here they come!"

"We have to protect this restaurant!" Even the building began to shake as scores of pounding footsteps headed toward them.

"Ah! We're gonna die!" Usopp screamed.

"I really hope not!" Hanley pressed her hands onto her knees, willing herself to remain calm. Losing her head wouldn't help matters.

And then the galleon split in half.

The massive flagship suddenly broke apart, cleanly split port to starboard. Everyone screamed as the ocean became wild from the sudden shifting of mass; if it weren't for Baratie's unique shape, it probably would have capsized. Hanley yelped and grabbed onto a table when the ship bucked, and yelped once more when Sanji insisted on trying to protect her.

"O-Oi! This isn't the time!" she shrieked, although thankful that he did keep her from slamming face first onto the floor when the ship bucked in another, unpredicted direction.

"There is always time to protect a lady!" Sanji insisted. Hanley gaped at him.

Usopp was left to fend for himself, unfortunately.

"A Gallant Chef! He truly is a Gallant Chef!" he screamed as he was tossed around.

"More importantly, something cut that ship into pieces!" Zoro had jabbed one of his katana into the floor and used it to brace himself.

"Ah, the Going Merry!" Luffy leaped to his feet and dashed over the fallen tabletops and other debris to the back door.

"Dammit! Nami, Yosaku, and Johnny are still on our ship!"

"Are we too late?" Usopp proved to be just as agile as usual as he followed Luffy and Zoro to the back.

"Thanks, Sanji, I'm fine." Hanley patted his shoulder and simply jumped halfway across the room to avoid the mess. She landed with a grunt and with a shorter leap she was right on the heels of the others.

Zeff was busy shouting orders, one of the few to remain on feet despite the fact he only had the one.

"Raise anchor! Otherwise our ship will be pulled into the whirlpool!"

"Aye, aye!"

"Sempai! Sempai, help!" Yosaku and Johnny were in the water, desperately swimming to keep from being dragged underwater.

"Are you okay?" Zoro yelled as he leaned over the railing. "What about our ship? Where's the Going Merry?"

Indeed, their caravel wasn't anywhere in sight. It couldn't have been dragged under without a trace. Perhaps Nami moved it? But that certainly didn't explain why Yosaku and Johnny were in the water.  
"I got them!" Hanley used the railing as a springboard and dove neatly into the choppy water. She reached the two bounty hunters within seconds and grabbed them.

"Hanley-aneki!"

"We're saved!"

"Where are you grabbing? Never mind, hang on!" Hanley kicked her feet and began to make her way back to the others. Usopp and Zoro were already leaning over the side, ready to grab hold of them when they got close enough.

"Where's the Going Merry?" Luffy repeated as they were hauled on board.

"Nami-sempai," Johnny gasped and paused to take a huge gulp of air, "took all the treasure and left with the ship!"

"_**WHAT?**_" they shouted, stunned.

'Tsunami, you didn't…! How could you?'

"Goddammit!" Hanley cursed, slamming her fist into the railing. "I'll throttle her!"

Yosaku and Johnny looked absolutely heartbroken as they tried to explain what happened. It was largely incoherent, but Hanley got the main facts: Nami was looking at their wanted posters, tricked them by pretending to undress, punted them overboard, and promptly stole the ship.

"I thought that she changed, but behind our back, she is still the same person as before!" Zoro also vented his anger and frustration by punching a wooden post.

"We're doomed!" Usopp cried in despair.

"Wait!" Luffy's voice cut through the air. "I can still see our ship!"

Hanley quickly stepped up beside him and peered into the distance. Yes, there was a dark shape on the horizon, but she could make out the distinctive triangular shape of the lateen rig.

"He's right! She hasn't gotten far!"  
"Yosaku, Johnny, is your ship still here?"

"It's still here," they answered in unison.

"Okay; Zoro, Usopp!"

Zoro crossed his arms. "Just leave her. There is no reason to follow her."

"I only want her to be my navigator," Luffy said firmly, leaving no room for argument. Hanley pressed her lips into a thin line and looked out at the horizon once more.

"…Fifteen minutes. If I leave now I'll catch up in that time."

Luffy blinked. "Is that alright, Hanley? I can't leave because I don't want to owe them, but the others…"

Hanley laughed softly and ruffled his hair.

"Sometimes you really surprise me, Hanuman, by thinking about my feelings."

Zoro sighed in annoyance and scratched his head.

"I get it, I get it, you really give me a headache! Let's go, Usopp!"

"Okay!" Usopp shook himself out of his stupor while Yosaku and Johnny prepared their small boat. Luckily it hadn't gotten too far.

"Take care," Zoro warned, "this place has gotten dangerous-"

"THAT MAN!" a terrified yell came from behind them. The shrill cry was soon joined by many others from the other side of the restaurant. From the sheer amount of voices it must have been Krieg's men.

"What's gotten them so spooked?" muttered Hanley. Zoro pushed past them to walk around the flat platform; Hanley had never seen him so focused before.

"I-Is that Hawk Eyed Man?" he wondered, focus on a small ship sailing peacefully amongst the destruction around it. Hanley, Luffy, Usopp, Yosaku, and Johnny were close behind, curious to see the one responsible for taking out fifty ships and thousands of crewmen.

"Is that guy Dracula or something?" Hanley nearly couldn't believe the eccentric sight she was witnessing. The strongest swordsman in the world apparently masqueraded as a vampire. He wore a fancy plumed hat on his head, and even from her vantage point she could see the large cross on his back. His pitch black sail was currently tied up and he seemed content to let the current pull him along.

"That must be him, the strongest swordsman in the world." Zoro was so affected his voice was shaking. "Mihawk."

"Wow…I'm impressed," Hanley replied as the others nodded in agreement.

"Damn you!" one of Krieg's men screamed, having clearly lost his mind, "we have nothing to do with you! Why did you follow us?"

Mihawk looked vaguely amused and took his time in answering.

"I just wanted to kill time."

'As I thought: he's one of _those_ people.'

Krieg's crewman screamed in rage and pulled out two guns. The thought that he was actually going to kill Mihawk was ludicrous, but that didn't stop him from firing. Mihawk sighed and casually pulled the cross off his back (a sword, naturally, the man had a motif going, after all) and swung his sword to the side. Hanley wasn't quite sure what happened-but it was clear the bullets were way off their mark. Mihawk didn't even move an inch from his seat.

"No matter how many times you try, your shot will miss. He uses his sword to change the course of the bullets." Somehow, Zoro had managed to get closer without anyone really noticing.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Hanley anxiously chewed on her thumb nail.

"Who the hell are you?" The crewman screamed, but Zoro ignored him to address Mihawk.

"I've never seen someone with such a gentle skill before."

"If a sword does not have gentleness, it is not strong." Mihawk easily slid his weapon back into its sheath.

"You used that sword to cut that giant ship?" Zoro jerked his chin towards what was left of the galleon. It hadn't sunk completely, yet, with the stern still sticking up out of the water as well as a portion of the bow. Other, smaller floating platforms of wood littered the area. Even the figurehead wasn't spared; the massive beast's head was missing half of its mouth and its left cheek and eye. Mihawk looked to be bored by the destruction he caused, and Hanley had little doubt the scene was probably one of his more tame escapades.

"Excellent," Zoro continued, not waiting for an answer, "I have looked for you for a long time." He untied the black bandanna from around his arm.

"What do you want from me?"

"The ultimate power. You're free, right? Why don't you fight me?" When Zoro slipped the black cloth onto his head, the other spectators began to murmur.

"He _is_ Zoro…"

"Roronoa Zoro of the three swords style!"

'It always surprises me that he's so well known around these parts.' Even Sanji seemed to have heard of him.

"This is bad, our ship is nearly out of sight!" Usopp reminded them, pointing back where Nami had taken off. Hanley tsked and looked back for a moment before turning to Luffy.

"Well?"

Luffy didn't readily answer her, seemingly focused on Zoro's impending battle. Hanley stared at him for a bit before sighing.

"I think I got it…we can't leave Mr. Zoro now. This is the man he's been searching for-we have to bear witness to it."

Mihawk looked neither surprised or impressed by the challenge.

"I really feel sorry for you, weakling," he said. Still, he obligingly left his coffin and stepped onto still floating main deck of Krieg's galleon where Zoro patiently waited. "Even the greatest swordsmen won't fight me because they can estimate their power and compare it to mine. Either your strong will to fight me comes from the bravery of your heart…or foolishness."

Zoro placed one of his katana in his mouth. "It is my dream, and my promise to my best friend."

"This is bad. Oh, this is very bad." Hanley was practically gnawing on her thumb.

"What is, Hanley-aneki?" Johnny asked.

"Mr. Zoro…I don't think he's going to win…"

"H-How can you say that?"

'Because it's probably the truth? That Mihawk…'

"Of course I _want_ him to win," Hanley hissed, "but that Mihawk is terrifying!"

"Then why haven't you said anything?" asked Usopp.

"Because…it's a man's romance. Or, something like that. Either way, he won't forgive me if I yelled at him now. Seriously."

Zoro wouldn't forgive anyone who interrupted him right now. Everything he had been through was for that moment; Luffy understood that the moment Mihawk appeared.

"I never thought I'd find you so soon." Zoro settled into a basic stance.

"That does not make you any better," Mihawk answered.

"In any case, no one can defeat our sempai," said Yosaku confidently.

The tense atmosphere became thicker and thicker as seconds passed. Finally, Mihawk lifted an arm and slipped the cross from his neck.

"Oh, is that guy religious?" Usopp wondered.

Mihawk then slid the top off to reveal a tiny dagger.

"…What?" Hanley stared in disbelief at the tiny thing. Zoro wasn't going to appreciate that gesture.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" he growled.

'No, didn't think so. What cruel psychological warfare.'

"I am not so stupid as to use all of what I have to hunt a rabbit." The tone in his voice didn't change, but Mihawk still managed to sound incredibly condescending. "I know that there are many people in the world who wish to become famous. Also, this place is East Blue, the weakest of all separated by Grand Line and Red Line. Unfortunately, I do not carry a knife smaller than this one."

Hanley winced and coughed.

"You just don't do that…mock another man's sword like that," Yosaku muttered as he shook his head.

"Um, I really hope there isn't any double meaning in that," Hanley began, only to trail off when the others threw her puzzled looks.

'Guess it's just me being the uncontrollable pervert. That figures.'

Zoro, unaware of their conversation, shifted his body weight onto the balls of his feet before sprinting forward in a headlong charge. It was certainly the fastest Hanley had ever seen him go. No doubt the training had paid off to some degree.

"Watch your words! Otherwise, you'll regret it when you die!"

Mihawk watched him approach.

"You are just a person who has never seen the real world."

Zoro responded by crossing his arms and performing a quick half step before leaping to close the rest of the distance between him and his target. Just when Hanley thought he was going to connect, he came to a sudden, jarring halt. Hanley could see where Mihawk was easily holding Zoro's three swords at bay with his small knife.

It was insane, and it was the most fear Hanley felt ever since the beginning of the trip. It was even worse than the fear of Kuro bearing down on her, or Krieg showing up with no warning. Hanley understood one thing-the only reason Zoro was still alive was pure whim, nothing more. There was no chance of winning, not even if they all got together to attack him; she understood that awful truth the moment she saw Zoro strain to move an inch into Mihawk's defensive territory and be completely unable to. His feet slid against the soaking wet wood of the deck and as he tried to break through with sheer power when skill wasn't going to be enough. Mihawk only watched him, head tilted slightly like the bird of prey he was named after.

With a loud cry, Zoro broke away and began to swing his swords in earnest, trying to slip past Mihawk's defenses. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed-Mihawk's dagger easily parrying and blocking both of Zoro's katana. Finally, Zoro was knocked back with a careless flick of Mihawk's wrist. He landed on his back and slid a few feet before coming to a stop.

"We're all gonna die…" a man to Hanley's left whimpered. Usopp seemed to moan in agreement.

'I don't know how much more of this I can watch! Damn, is this for real? All I can do is pray that Mihawk won't kill Zoro when he's finally bored of him!'

"Stop joking around, Sempai!" Johnny called.

"Pull yourself together and get serious!" Yosaku had grabbed her arm and was squeezing it tightly. Hanley didn't have the heart to shake him off.

"What a crazy skill you've got." Mihawk continued to block Zoro's attacks, which were slowly becoming more frenzied the more desperate he got.

"I practiced so hard to defeat this man!" Zoro wasn't winding down at all; if anything, his blows were becoming heavier. Whether he was answering Johnny and Yosaku-whether he even _heard_ them-Hanley couldn't really say.

Mihawk didn't flinch.

"What is your duty? And what do you want from the ultimate power? You weakling."

Yosaku finally let go of her arm, but it was to draw his sword and leap towards the fight. Johnny was half a second behind him.

"Don't call our sempai a weakling!"

"We have to teach you a lesson!"

Hanley quickly slipped her arms under Yosaku's and pulled him to a halt.

"Hey, stop!"

"Don't get involved, Yosaku! Johnny!" Luffy yanked Johnny back by his coat and pushed his head down. "We have to be patient!"

"Luffy…" Usopp started, looking surprised. Hanley was a little surprised herself. She had been so involved in the fight that she didn't realize how close Luffy was to snapping and launching himself over there. He was grinding his teeth and his body was trembling.

Zoro shouted when Mihawk shoved him back once more. He hit the deck hard on his right shoulder and managed to reduce the shock by rolling into a crouch.

"Tora!" Zoro held raised the katana in his hands and placed them perpendicular to the one in his mouth. He had used the move earlier back in Sirop. "Gari!" Even though it was a short amount of time, Hanley could see it more refined than last, and much faster. However, it was all for naught as Mihawk finally chose this moment to go on the offensive. He easily slipped through the hole in Zoro's attack and sunk his blade into the other's chest.

Hanley was screaming before she could stop herself.

She was drowned out by Yosaku and Johnny, who struggled more furiously against their captors. Luffy made a small sound, akin to a pained grunt, but he held firm. Zoro's arms fell uselessly to his sides, somehow able to keep a hold on his katana. He took a small step forward, finally causing Mihawk to show a hint of emotion on his face.

"Do you want this knife to go through your heart? Why aren't you stepping back?" Mihawk asked curiously.

"I…I don't know. However, if I take a single step back, I'd feel that I had broken my promise, and I will not be able to stand here again." Zoro's entire body was shaking, and he could barely talk with both the katana and blood in his mouth, but he still dug in his heels and remained on Mihawk's blade.

"Right," came the unsympathetic reply, "and that is called losing."

"Heh, and that is why I can't take a step back."

"Even if it means losing your life?"

"If I have to lose, I'd rather die!"

"…Tell me your name, kid." Mihawk suddenly stepped back, pulling the small dagger from Zoro's chest. Zoro slumped a bit when he was no longer supported by the blade, but he quickly gathered himself and held up his two katana to launch another attack.

"Roronoa Zoro."

"I will remember that. It's been a long time since I've met someone with such a strong will." Mihawk replaced his knife and reached over his shoulder, pulling his main weapon out of its sheath. "And to repay that, I will use the 'Black Sword,' the strongest sword in the world to end your life."

'No, wait…_stop_!' Hanley wanted to scream, but the lump in her throat kept her from making more than a pathetic keening sound. She felt rooted to the spot, unable and not daring to rush forward. Even if she wanted to she would only get in the way; get in the way of Zoro's dream and whatever was happening over there. She felt off-kilter, like they were communicating in some odd language and she was the outsider who could understand the definitions of the words used but not their connotations. She understood, in a shallow way, but something was still missing. Was there something wrong with her? Something different in her head somehow? Or, perhaps she was learning firsthand exactly what it meant to "bear witness"-to watch an event and be forced to carry the implications around like a dead weight around one's shoulders.

Zoro began to spin his swords while Mihawk dashed forward with a sharp shout.

"Die!"

Yosaku and Johnny screamed. "Please stop, Sempai!"

"Secret technique of the Santoryuu: Sanzen Sekai!" Zoro twirled his two blades, quickly building up momentum and power and as he launched himself forward to meet Mihawk's attack. Their blades clashed with a loud clang. They moved past each other the next instant and paused. The katana in Zoro's hands shattered, useless and broken against Mihawk's superior blade. He had an even longer gash across his chest and blood poured freely from his mouth. Hanley couldn't even scream at that point. Zoro dropped his broken blades and calmly sheathed his remaining katana even as Mihawk spun around to finish what he started. Zoro shocked them all by standing and holding out his arms, baring his chest.

"What are you doing?" Mihawk stopped mid-swing.

"It's shameful for a swordsman to be hit from behind."

Mihawk actually let out a short laugh.

"Splendid!" There was an odd note of respect in his voice as he brought down his blade and slashed Zoro across the chest, from left shoulder to right hip.

It wasn't pretty, nor was it the dramatic spray of blood like in a movie as the victim slowly collapsed to the ground. It was the same as when she first saw someone get shot, only this time it was the disgusting sound of metal cutting through flesh. His katana slipped out of his grasp and he dropped like dead weight.

"Zoro!" Luffy let out another scream, this time wordless. Hanley didn't bother, but she was in tears, barely able to hold herself up because she was certain she just watched Zoro die while doing nothing to help him. It didn't matter if he didn't want it; it didn't even matter if he never forgave her again if she had tried. The real world was a cruel place and Hanley was surprised the lesson hadn't sunken in until now. The look on Zoro's face when he realized just how much his dream outclassed him…! It was too painful.

"Is this the power of Grand Line?"

"Even Zoro the Pirate Hunter can't compare!"

Hanley let out a small sob as she tried to get her breathing under control. She looked up just in time to see Zoro disappear into the water, sword following him.

"It's too easy for you to give your dream like that!" Hanley thought it was Sanji's voice she heard screaming, but she didn't think to check. Luffy let out a loud curse and jumped into Yosaku and Johnny's boat to get into a better position.

"Damn you!" he swung his arm and sent his fist flying towards Mihawk. Mihawk easily shifted out of the way, looking slightly surprised to see Luffy's arms stretch so far. Luffy grasped a railing and relaxed his arm, letting it pull him toward Mihawk.

"Hanuman! Stop! _SHIT_!" Hanley screamed and dove into the water. Torn, she decided to head towards Zoro first. She had to trust that Luffy would remain alive long enough for her to bring Zoro to the surface.

It didn't take long to find him; the long trail of blood he left made it easy. Hanley swam through it, determined not to let it distract her before she could reach him.

'Oh Zoro…Mr. Zoro!…' she sobbed and grabbed his body as gently as she could. He looked dead-his eyes closed and body completely slack. But…Hanley squinted as she brought him to the surface. She saw Johnny with Zoro's katana out of the corner of her eye. Was Zoro's mouth moving? When they broke the surface, Hanley nearly screamed when he took a giant gasp of air.

"You're alive! Thank god, you're alive!"

"Sempai, can you hear me?" Johnny held the katana with one hand as he helped her support Zoro's weight. "Yosaku, bring the boat around!"

"Yeah!" Yosaku had moved the craft closer and leaned over the side. Between the three of them, they hoisted him onto the deck while Usopp approached with a first aid kit.

"Hurry, put medicine on the wound!" Johnny all but snatched the bottle from Usopp's grasp while the other tried to unroll the bandages with his other hand.

Hanley tugged off his ruined shirt, not having the time to be particularly gentle as she examined the wound. The cut was awful, and she suspected it was only sheer willpower that kept his intestines from spilling out into the daylight. Still, for some reason, Mihawk had kept him alive.

Hanley ignored the slick feeling of blood and seawater as she helped them dress the wound as best they could. And the _smell_…the scent of copper was so thick she could taste it on her tongue-she could even imagine the bitter tang stinging the back of her throat. Through it all, she could hear Mihawk's deep voice calling out to him even as he laid there on the deck of the small ship.

"-No matter how long it will take, I will always be the greatest swordsman in the world and will be waiting for you! You have to practice both your skill and your heart to become stronger! Dare to challenge me again, Roronoa Zoro!"

"Sempai, say something!" begged Johnny as they worked. Worried, Hanley turned to look at Mihawk and Luffy. It didn't look as if Mihawk was going to attack him. His sword was once more sheathed and his arms were crossed.

"Kid, what's your goal?" he asked.

"To become the greatest pirate." Luffy was his usual straightforward self, even when confronted with the likes of Mihawk.

"Ha, what a stupid dream. It means you have to become stronger than me, you know?"

Luffy stuck out his tongue.

"I don't care. I will become one, and you will see that! Hanley! Usopp! Is Zoro alright?"

"He's not dead, but he's unconscious!" Usopp helped her finish the first set of bindings on his torso. Ideally he should get sewn back together, but that was simply impossible at this point. His blood was hot was on her hands and it was all she could do not to retch at the feeling of it through her fingers. She would have thought she was used to her own bleeding out that she could handle other people's.

Hanley jumped when Zoro suddenly raised an arm and grasped his sword, somehow managing to find it with ease. With some difficulty, he freed it from its white sheath and held it up, point in the sky.

"Lu-Luffy…can you hear…me?" he gasped, voice thick and coughing.

"Yes." Luffy sat up straighter.

"I am sorry for making you worry about me. If I…can't become an invincible swordsman, you will be worried about me, right-ugh!" Zoro was cut off by a horrible, hacking cough, blood spraying the deck when he jerked his head to the side to keep from spitting up on anyone. Hanley nearly broke out into hysterical laughter, considering the circumstances.

"D-Don't speak, Sempai!" Johnny and Yosaku reached forward to help him; how, she didn't really know.

"From now on…" Zoro placed a hand on his head, tears pouring down his face. It was enough to set her off again. "I won't lose to anyone ever again! Until I can defeat that man and become an invincible swordsman, I won't lose again! Forever!"

Zoro paused to catch his breath.

"Do you have any problems with that, Greatest Pirate?"

Luffy smiled so widely it nearly split his face.

"Nope!"

"You are a very good team," Mihawk said in fierce approval as he turned and headed toward his coffin-boat, "I hope that I will see you again."

Hanley gently arranged Zoro's body so his feet were no longer hanging over the side.

"I thought you were dead," Hanley whispered, utterly relieved. It was a feeling she had deep down to her very bones.

"As if…I would…from such a thing…" Zoro's fingers twitched and he finally lowered his sword, unable to keep hold it aloft any longer. Hanley carefully sheathed it and placed it beside him.

"I'm glad, you know. I would have missed carrying you, you know."

"Creepy…woman…" Zoro closed his eyes with a soft cough.

"Ha ha, so cruel."

'How he's not dead from shock and blood loss alone, I won't get into.'

Hanley stepped back with a tired sigh and dipped her hands into the ocean. His blood had stained the rope-gloves and wouldn't come out no matter what she did.

"Then…let that be a reminder…of something I have yet to fully comprehend." Hanley nodded to herself.

"Hey, Hawk Eyes!" Hanley jerked in shock as Krieg called out to Mihawk, arrogance oozing from every pore. "Don't you want my head, now? The head of Don Krieg, the greatest pirate of East Blue?"

Mihawk paused and looked back at him.

"I've thought of that, but I've had enough fun for today. I'll go back to sleep, now."

'Don't tell me…he really was woken from a nap?'

"Why are you saying something so mean? Even though you had fun, I have not!" Krieg, for some reason, seemed to have thrown away his self preservation. "Before you go back, die!" Krieg's armor opened up once more to reveal the hidden guns. He shot off several rounds.

"Fool! You haven't learned your lesson! Good bye!" Mihawk raised his sword and swung it, kicking up a massive wave of debris and water. The galleon buckled under the pressure, tossing around scores of men. Luffy jumped onto a railing on Baratie just in time to escape the water.

"Usopp! You guys should go now! Hanley!"

"R-Right!" Hanley gave Zoro's head a pat before throwing herself overboard.

Usopp perched on the bow and waved an arm. He held Luffy's straw hat in his grasp,

"Zoro and I will bring Nami back for sure! You and Hanley have to make that chef join us! When we get six members, we'll go to Grand Line!" He wound up and tossed the hat like a frisbee. Luffy reached out a hand and snagged it from the air moments later.

"Okay, let's do it!"

Hanley swam to Luffy's side and hoisted herself out of the water. She plopped down on the railing and groaned.

"Goddamn, what a day!" She peeled off her bloody, soaking shirt and rung it. _Another_ piece of clothing ruined. Much of more of this and she'd have to waltz around in the buff.

'What a scary thought, ugh.'

"Here they come, now." Sanji held a fresh cig in his lips as he approached them. Hanley stiffened as she saw Krieg and his remaining men standing on the floating pieces of timber; apparently, they were still interested in taking Baratie. She was foolish in thinking that would have been the end of it.

"Parasites," Sanji spat.

"Krieg…" Hanley murmured.

Luffy hummed as he hung over the side of the railing.

"Hey mister. If we get rid of those guys, does that make us even?"

"Hmph, do whatever you want," answered Zeff.

Hanley took that as a yes.

"Yosh." Luffy hopped up beside her and bounced on the balls of his feet. Hanley nervously ran her fingers through her hair, unable to sit particularly still herself. Even if Krieg was taken out, the sheer number of his crew could easily overwhelm them. Hanley could tell that Sanji was a trained fighter, but she had no idea of how strong he was.

Hanley hummed and looked him over. After years of practice, she got pretty good at spotting martial artists-the way they carried themselves was usually different, for one. Judging from the well developed leg muscles, Sanji probably focused on kicking. She turned her gaze back to Krieg and sneered.

"Damn, I can't stand him. Look at him plotting over there. It's enough to make me want to spit." Hanley turned away for a brief moment to pull her shirt back on. They all flinched when Krieg suddenly shot one of his subordinates; the poor man had probably breathed the wrong way. However, Hanley admitted that it said a lot for the man's charisma that his crew were now cheering and preparing to storm the Baratie. They raised their weapons and all but roared.

"Wow! Here they come! This is so exciting!" Luffy jammed his hat back on his head.

"Oh, well, I'm glad one of us is happy," Hanley remarked.

"Hey, mister! So is that a deal?"

"That is a very good deal," Zeff confirmed, "because if you do stay here for one year, you would destroy my restaurant."

"Um, yes, I'm still very sorry for him." Hanley gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her neck.

Sanji looked to one of the chefs standing beside him.

"Where's Patty and Carne?"  
"They're preparing to fight. You can count on them during a time like this," answered the chef.

Sanji rolled his cigarette between his lips for a moment before speaking.

"We should raise the front porch."

"Huh? But that would give them more room to stand on."

"Raise the front porch?" Hanley asked as the chef ran off to follow orders. Sanji beamed at her and opened his mouth to explain (she could just imagine his response) but Luffy's shout prevented him from answering.

"I'm going now!" Luffy had grasped the railing and walked backwards into the restaurant, stretching his arms until they were fully tense. "Gomu Gomu no…Rocket!"

He relaxed his arms and was off like a shot. Krieg's crew screamed and tried to stop their advance, but Luffy easily intercepted them and stretched his arms sideways, catching them across their necks and chests in a modified clothesline. He blew them all away, sending them crashing onto bits of debris or into the sea. His momentum didn't slow much, however, and thinking quickly, Luffy reached out and grabbed one of the remaining masts before he landed in the ocean.

"Hanuman, are you crazy? Arg, don't even answer that!" Hanley swung her leg around and prepared to rush over.

"Are there many people like that in Grand Line?" Sanji wondered; the question seemed to be largely rhetorical. Still, Hanley felt compelled to answer as she plotted the best way to get over there.

"Hell if I know. More importantly, what was he thinking? He can't swim a stroke!" Worry gnawed at her and settled unpleasantly in her gut.

"He can't?"

"People who eat the Akuma no Mi can't swim. They freeze up-become hammers, essentially."

Whatever Krieg was telling Luffy, it was mocking and full of contempt if the sneer on his face was anything to go by. Luffy took it all in stride, naturally, sticking out his tongue regardless of the consequences. Hanley knew Luffy was more than capable of taking care of himself (well, relatively speaking…depending on the circumstances), but that was too reckless, even for him. Hanley easily hopped the distance from the railing to the nearest piece of debris, even stepping on a hapless sailor as she made her way across. Krieg and Luffy were too busy talking smack to trade blows yet, so she had to get over there before-

'Before what, really? It's not like I make a huge difference in a fight…that much has become clear. Still, I won't let Krieg lay one finger-!'

The sound of gears moving and a metallic screeching filled the air. Hanley froze in surprise as she watched the fish head on Baratie disengage and zoom towards them.

"This is the ultimate weapon of Baratie! The Tiny Fish Number One!" Patty screamed.

"Get out of here if you don't wanna die!" Carne added as they pedaled straight for the pirates.

"THAT'S SO COOL!" Luffy's jaw dropped in awe and delight as three cannon barrels jutted out of the fish's mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Krieg's men screamed as they desperately tried to get out of the way.

"FIRE!" Patty began shooting off the cannons, sending torrents of water into the air. Hanley yelped and ducked, her hands automatically clutching her head.

"Those crazy bastards!"

The driftwood bucked under her feet, forcing Hanley to shift her weight to prevent from being thrown.

"I'm pulling up the porch!" she heard someone cry from behind.

Hanley shook her head. "The hell is happening?"

Hanley watched as a wooden platform slowly emerged from the sea, surrounding the entire restaurant. It rose clear out of the water, clicking into place with an audible snap. Sanji took a step on it and lightly tapped the new battle area with the toe of his loafer.

"You want to fight, don't you? I'll give you the opportunity now."

"THAT'S SO WONDERFUL!" Luffy's jaw had now dropped below his collarbone from excitement.

'It's the simple things in life, isn't it?'

"I see," Krieg chuckled arrogantly, "you don't want us to fight in the restaurant because you are afraid it would be destroyed. Good-when we get the ship, it will be in perfect condition. That ship is more useful than I thought!"

The men wasted in no time springing into battle, swords and giant utensils flying.

"Krieg, prepare to die!" The Tiny Fish circled around for another sweep, this time heading straight for Krieg. The Tiny Fish zipped easily through the water, accelerating as they honed in on their target.

'Wait, what if Luffy gets caught up in that?'

"Hey, stop!" Hanley cried, only to gasp when Krieg calmly held out a hand and stopped the speeding vessel dead in its tracks. "How is that possible…? He's lifting that thing?"

Krieg easily ignored Patty's and Carne's screams as he used his grip on one of the the ship's cannons to lift it out of the water.

"I am Don Krieg, future leader of the world…I don't have time to play with you!"

Krieg flexed his arm and tossed the Tiny Fish No. 1 over his head and towards Baratie. Patty and Carne screamed as they flew towards the air, trapped as the ship threatened to crush the people fighting on the collapsible deck. Sanji stepped forward and took a drag from his cigarette.

"The two of them are only good at being brave and boasting!" Sanji suddenly jumped, using the sheer strength in his legs to launch himself high into the air. He twisted and performed a powerful spinning heel kick just as the Tiny Fish reached him. Hanley couldn't help but wince as Patty and Carne were tossed aside, probably gaining more injuries from Sanji's interference than Krieg's toss.

"Damn, that was cold," she muttered. Well, it looked like her suspicions that he was a martial artist that focused on kicking were true after all.

"Sanji!" his comrades cried as he landed. Sanji grinned and idly smoothed the front of his jacket.

"That kicking skill…" Krieg growled, obviously irritated at an unexpected display of strength.

Hanley chuckled nervously. "I'm guessing the old man passed on more than his cooking skills…" She could only hope he was accurate-she definitely didn't want to be dodging flying debris on top of dealing with Krieg and his army.

"Sanji, you moron!" Patty and Carne dragged themselves out of the wreck. "Do you want to kill us?"

"…Yes," Sanji replied.

"Cool!" Luffy cried.

'Well, he is…just a little,' Hanley thought.

"Just give up the ship!" Krieg's men took advantage of the distraction and renewed their fight in earnest. The chefs were being overwhelmed, dropping like flies.

"Don't look down on us!" Patty picked up a pitchfork and leaped into the fray, Carne following. They actually put up a good fight, ramming through the interlopers with powerful swings of their weapons.

"What the hell are they?"

"This is the true power of a chef!"

Hanley nearly missed the large man climbing out of the water-she would have overlooked him completely had Krieg's men not stopped and gaped in horror. She had seen quite a few characters in her time, but Hanley had to admit that the man before her was easily one of the weirdest. The armor he wore wasn't nearly as sophisticated-or, hell-aesthetic as Krieg's. It looked to be made of iron, and was in the shape of a large shield that covered his torso. He had smaller shields covering his elbows and knees, as well as a pair of shields in his hands. His odd appearance was topped with a pearl shaped hat on top of his head. His face was admittedly handsome, but the body and proportions were really too much for Hanley.

"What…are you doing?" the man asked before he punched Carne and Patty away. The two of them crumpled to the deck, blood streaming from their bodies. The man threw back his head and laughed, raising a hand in triumph.

"What weaklings! I am invincible!"

Krieg's men looked heartened. "Mr. Pearl!"

"Patty! Carne! Are you still alive?" one of the chefs cried.

"If they are, they are in serious condition because of my killer punch!" Pearl's hand-held iron shield was covered in blood.

"How many men do you have?" shrieked Hanley, whirling to face Krieg once more. Krieg smirked.

"I know it must be hard for you to realize, only being in the company of inferior pirates."

"How your neck hasn't snapped from your _arrogance_-"

"Know your place, woman. The only reason I haven't put you down where you belong is simply because you aren't worth the effort. Stay your tongue before I change my mind."

"Krieg-"

A scream brought Hanley's attention back to the Baratie. Hanley risked a glance at Krieg, who was content to watch the show for now, before refocusing her attention on the skirmish. Sanji had kicked one of the pirates and sent him airborne. She could hear the sound of bones snapping even from her position. The man slammed into several others, but the sheer power of Sanji's kicked sent them all flying right into Pearl's iron plate. Pearl, however, didn't budge an inch as they fell to the ground at his feet. Sanji idly caught a large kitchen knife as it fell and brandished it at his enemies.

"A knife is the chef's soul. No worthless person is allowed to touch it!" He leaned down and gave the knife back to Patty, who was still unable to move from his position on the floor. "Here, take your knife. I will take care of the pirates."

'Okay, more than a little cool.'

There were about twenty of Krieg's men still in action. Sanji was really the only chef left in Baratie that was still capable of combat. The difference in numbers made the pirates grow cocky.

"Take care of us? Don't make me laugh! We will finish you off!" The men charged, moving to overwhelm Sanji. One brought his sword up into a stabbing motion, but Sanji easily dodge the attack and fell to the deck. He spun on his hands, spinning his legs out like a top and knocking down row after row of pirates. When the last man fell to the deck he gracefully returned his to initial stance, expression dark.

"Stupid chef? I don't think you know what the word 'die' means!"

Pearl watched all of this, making no move to help his comrades. He sighed heavily.

"You all were defeated by a kick? You really are worthless. Hey! You only know how to kick?"

"For a chef, our hands are our lives; we won't let our hands get hurt. I'll defeat you with my kick." Sanji noticed Hanley's stare and waved cheesily. "Are you watching me, Hanley-san?"

"Oh my god." Hanley nodded weakly. "J-Just kick him, Sanji-kun."

"Hai!"

'Oh my _god_…'

Sanji rolled his shoulders. "Hear that? I definitely can't lose, now. It would look bad to lose face in front of a lady."

"And here I thought you were doing it for your restaurant…" Hanley muttered.

Pearl scoffed. "You, defeat me? Stop dreaming. I've been through sixty one fights and all of my opponents are dead. I always win without a wound. People call me 'The Iron Wall.' You take care of my hands, but I take care of my whole body. Since my first fight, I've never lost a drop of blood. Do you understand? Not even a tiny drop. And that means I am a very strong person. See? My face is so clear…I love myself!"

"What's wrong with that guy?" Luffy wondered. Hanley could only shake her head. Really, what _could_ you say in the face of that?

"Hey, kid! Pay attention before you get hurt!" Krieg was finally making a move. He had pulled a large, spiked ball and chain out of nowhere and was spinning it with undeniable skill.

"Hanuman!" Hanley was moving before she could even think or try to talk herself out of it. She grabbed a piece of wood and flung it as hard as she could.

"You bitch!" Krieg easily blocked the throw and flung the metal ball right at her. Hanley leaped over it and continued running, skipping off broken pieces of wood until she reached the main deck. Krieg sneered and yanked the chain back. Hanley glanced down at the chain so she could follow the weight's trajectory. She fell to the deck with barely enough time to miss a spike slamming into the back of her head.

'Shit! Fuck! This is lethal!'

Krieg caught the spiked ball and let out a short bark of laughter.

"As I said, woman, right where you belong."

"You-!"

"Just die." Krieg didn't even bother winding up, he simply used his super human strength to provide the momentum.

"Look out!" Hanley grunted in surprise when Luffy's body slammed into hers, pushing her aside and right into the ball's path.

"Luffy!" A small part of her mind acknowledged that Luffy's rubbery body would protect him as the metal ball slammed into him and sent him flying towards Baratie. When he smashed into the back of Pearl's head just as Sanji kicked at his head, causing the pirate to injure himself on his own weapon, that same small part of her mind acknowledged that Luffy would hardly be injured from such a blow.

The _rest_ of her, however, was nearly incoherent with rage.

"What was that, Hanley? I thought you weren't going to let me lay a finger on him. It's your own fault-women are only good for two things, and fighting isn't one of them."

"…That's it." Hanley whispered, blinking rapidly so she could see through the red haze that threatened to cloud her vision.

"What?"

"That's _it_…"

Krieg's eyes narrowed, but something on Baratie's porch caught his attention.

"Damn!" Krieg cursed as Pearl slowly raised a shaky hand to his bloody nose. Luffy was calmly brushing the dirt off his pants, none worse for the wear.

"He-He's bleeding? We're in trouble now!" Krieg's men, for some reason, were starting to panic and back away from the deathly silent Pearl. Hanley barely noticed-she was trying to focus through the sheer amount of rage she felt.

"Blood!" Pearl gasped as if in a trance.

"It's not a wound from fighting, Mr. Pearl, calm down!"

"It's just a little nose bleed!"

"What's going on?" Sanji wondered. Luffy shrugged in response.

"My iron wall has been destroyed…they are dangerous…!" Pearl didn't seem to hear them as he broke out into a feverish sweat.

Krieg's men became more desperate. "Calm down, Pearl! It's just a nose bleed! This place is not a jungle!"

Pearl ignored them and began slamming his fists together, bringing his weapons together with a loud clang.

"Danger! I am in danger!" Sparks began forming from his fists, increasing in number.

"Pull yourself together, Mr. Pearl!"

He literally set himself on fire.

"Dammit, he is thinking about when he was in the jungle! He was born there with many wild animals! Anytime he feels that he is in danger he will start a fire!"

Pearl's armor was covered in flames and he wasn't nearly finished yet.

"Don't even get close to me! Ultimate Ball of Fire!" The flames exploded outward, forcing Sanji and Luffy to flip away as they fell onto the deck, setting it aflame.

"Please stop!"

"FIRE!"

"Everything must burn down!" Pearl screamed in the midst of the flames. "This fire armor is even greater than my iron wall!"

Krieg cursed and spit to the side.

"That idiot! He wants to burn the ship we want to take!"

Krieg's men began diving into the sea as the flames spread, unable to take the heat. Sanji stepped around a tongue of fire and raced towards Pearl.

"Sanji! Stop or you'll get burned!" Patty screamed, actually showing his concern.

Sanji ignored him as he flipped over the ring of fire into Pearl's area. He landed a powerful kick on Pearl's hand guard, not caring about the flames. Sanji bounced off and fell back, not bothered by the heat.

"What's this? You dare come close to the fire?" Pearl raised his arms threateningly, but Sanji merely pointed at him, his fingers grasping the now very familiar cigarette.

"Idiot! What kind of chef would be afraid of fire?"

"Damn! Just shut up! Ultimate Ball of Fire!" Pearl swung his hand shield once more; but he was far too slow. Sanji fell back into a handstand and brought his heel into Pearl's face, slipping past his guard. Pearl was thrown back onto his back with a loud clatter. Pearl clambered back onto his feet, more frightened than ever.

"Danger! This is a really dangerous person! I have to create more fireballs!" He flung fireballs left and right. Some fell harmlessly into the sea, but others flew right at the main restaurant, particularly where Zeff was standing.

Someone cried out, "Zeff, watch out!"

The old chef merely pivoted on his good leg and swung his other one with amazing speed. The wind from the kick blew the fireballs out before they could do any damage.

"Even though I only have one leg left, those fireballs can't do anything to me."

"Wh-Who's that?" Pearl stumbled back.

Krieg snarled and raised his weapon.

"Idiot Pearl, he always ruins everything! Before he burns the ship, I'll have to finish him and the front porch." He started to swing his weapon, but stopped short when a furious Hanley was suddenly in his face.

"You didn't really forget about me, did you?"

"Woman-!" He was cut short when she grabbed his short, gray hair and pulled him down just as she leaped off the ground, bringing her knee upward.

"Kao Loi!"

Hanley had never felt so intensely satisfied smashing a knee into someone's face. Krieg's hold on his weapon loosened completely, sending it flying off into the ocean.

"Captain Krieg!"

"That woman really-!"

"Woo, Hanley!" Luffy cheered as Sanji took that opening to finally get a good side kick into Pearl's face. Pearl made an odd wheezing noise as his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell on his back, the flames on his armor slowly dying and extinguishing as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

Hanley placed a hand on her hip and pointed at Krieg.

"I've had it! You're one person I'll never forgive! I…!" Hanley took a deep breath and shouted a line she never thought she'd say, "I will defeat you, even if I die!"

Krieg didn't answer for a long moment, and the atmosphere became more menacing as the seconds passed.

"It would seem…you won't be satisfied until I succeed in killing you."

Hanley pressed her lips into a thin line and sank into a low stance-deeper than the one she usually used.

"Luffy!" she called, using his real name to show how serious she was. She slipped her magatama off her neck and threw it behind her as hard as she could, not bothering to check where it was going. It was practically vibrating, and she didn't want it damaged.

'Sorry, but you're leaving blisters and distracting me.'

"Take care of that for me! And don't you dare interfere!"

He didn't answer her, but she knew he heard her just the same.

Hanley had held no aspirations to be the strongest, or the best, or any damn such thing. She was fine with that, expected it…

But she didn't like being weak.

Something had to give, sometime. She was going to have to move forward or get left-simple as that. She was probably fucking crazy to go challenging Krieg. Arrogant asshole he was, but it wasn't purely empty boast if the way he lifted that ship with one hand was any indication. Hanley already knew he had her beat in raw power.

'But then, I can't hope to have as much strength or muscle than a man…' that small thought wormed it's way into her consciousness and she cringed. Hanley was no genius, but she wasn't a drooling idiot, either. For all her yelling, Hanley knew she'd never best her grandfather's strength. Her training afforded her skill and power above the average citizen, but there's always been a fear that she would be unable to match up in a world where the vast majority of fighters were men. In her far weaker moments, Hanley even wondered if it would have been easier to have born a boy. Women pirates and marines were few and far in between-and those who could perform in heavy combat were even fewer.

Doing this…if she did this, maybe she'll find some kind of answer; some way to get rid of that awful fear and doubt.

"Gin!" Luffy's and Sanji's shouts caused her to glance at the Baratie, then do a double take. The man they helped earlier, the one who appeared to be Sanji's friend had a gun pointed at the back of Zeff's head. Hanley growled and clenched her fists.

"I should have known-there's a reason he's part of Krieg's crew."

"Do you want to spare his life?" Gin called, addressing Sanji. "Then Sanji-san, leave this ship!"

Luffy looked ready to throw down that second. Hanley saw he had put her necklace on. She stared in confusion when she saw that the once blue-green gem was now a furious black.

'What the shit…' she wondered before focusing on the hostage situation.

"Leave the ship? Why don't you go to hell?" answered Sanji.

"Sanji, you moron! Don't tease him or he will kill Zeff!" a chef shouted.

Sanji sighed. "Why are you so worried, old man? You don't have any right to order us chefs around anymore."

"Shut up, stupid kid. You don't have to talk to me in that way," Zeff retorted.

"Stupid kid? Who are you calling stupid kid?" Sanji composed himself and stood up straighter. "Gin, point your gun at me!"

"What are you thinking? You'll get killed!" It said a lot about the state of affairs when Luffy was the voice of reason. Sanji shrugged.

"That's alright."

"Sanji-san…why?" Gin's grip relaxed on the gun, but it didn't fall away completely.

Before Sanji could answer, Pearl shocked them all by moving and getting back on his feet.

"If you want to die that much, I will help you! You made my nose bleed twice in one fight. It's not just luck-you are too dangerous! If you don't want that old man to die, don't move!" Pearl swung his arm back, lifting his front leg to give himself extra momentum. "Ultimate Killing Technique: Pearl!" The hand shield smashed into Sanji's face; the crunch echoed throughout the area. Sanji landed face down on the wooden porch, bleeding profusely, and skidded all the way into the wall of the restaurant itself.

Luffy started forward. "Sanji!"

"That's what you deserve for destroying my iron wall." Pearl jeered at Sanji's body.

Hanley grit her teeth, not daring to move for fear of endangering Zeff and putting her back to Krieg.

"You-!" Luffy pulled back his fist for a punch, but Sanji's words stopped him.

"Don't interfere!"  
"Why didn't you dodge that attack?"

"Can't you see…he's about to pull the trigger?" Blood was pouring from Sanji's nose and mouth, but he ignored it as he addressed Gin. "Gin, you are such a coward. You think I could seriously accept that deal?"

"Why? It's the best and easiest way! If you leave this restaurant, everyone will survive!"

"This restaurant…is that man's treasure!"

Patty looked floored. "Sanji…don't you hate Zeff?"

"I've already taken everything from that man's life. His power, his dream, that's why…I don't want him to lose anything more!"

Zeff raised his head to look at him.

"This is not the time to talk about that story, stupid kid!"

"Shut up! How many times do I have to tell you not to treat me like a kid!"

"Sanji, look out!" Patty screamed. Pearl, despite his size and armor, had managed to fly under the radar long enough to sneak up to Sanji's back and raise his two shields.

"Pearl…Cross!" He slammed the weapons into Sanji's jaw and neck, squeezing his head between the two pieces of metal. Hanley screamed as Sanji slumped to his knees and then to the ground.

"What are you babbling about? That has nothing to do with me." Pearl nudged a motionless Sanji with his foot. Luffy growled and whirled on Gin.

"You are really low, Gin!"

Gin shook his head. "This is our way of fighting! After all, this is your fault! If you gave up your ship before, nothing would have happened!"

"Is that what you really think? Blame the victim? It's _our_ fault when you were stupid enough to believe a word Krieg said? I suppose it's Sanji's fault for being a decent human being and feeding you!" Hanley shrieked.

"Captain Krieg is a great man-!"

"You are worse than a fool!"

"Enough! Pearl!" Pearl suddenly jumped in the air, gaining a surprising amount of height given the weight he was carrying. "Service!" He belly flopped on Sanji's back. Sanji's scream was horrible, and Hanley briefly turned away from the sight of Sanji's back arching unnaturally under the attack.

The fire continued to rage around the porch while Pearl's delighted laughter filled the air.

"Do you see my power? I am perfect!"

"Sanji! We don't understand! What have you taken from Zeff?" Carne cried. Sanji wheezed and began to pick himself up from the porch.

"That old man…when we were stranded on a tiny island…he ate his leg and gave me all the food and water so that I would survive!"

Hanley's hands briefly fell from their guard to fly up to her moth in horror.

'That's what he meant earlier…but to eat his own leg!'

Pearl cared little for that; he was only concerned with the fact that Sanji was still breathing.

"He can still get up?"

"I won't give this restaurant to anyone! And I won't allow anyone to kill that old man." Sanji stood shakily on his feet. "In order to save a kid's life, he paid the ultimate price! If I don't risk my life, I won't be able to repay him for what he's done!"

"Repay me?" Zeff coughed. "Don't overreact, Sanji. I'm not unfortunate enough to let a kid like you protect me."

"Who's overreacting? If you didn't lose your right leg, these people wouldn't have been able to hurt you."

Gin still looked confused. "Why? Why keep standing, Sanji-san?"

"Still haven't had enough of me?" Pearl threw his head back and laughed. "In the real world, the loser is the one who is defeated. It doesn't matter if we use hostages or not…a winner is still a winner! Isn't that right, Captain Krieg?"

"Absolutely." Krieg smirked.

"Right, Gin-san?"

Gin didn't answer, but Pearl merely shrugged off his cool response.

"Maybe I shouldn't ask you; you're the one who's always stuck to the rules. Well, there's no way that you can defeat us. Why do you still stand when there's no hope?"

"Heh…I just want this place to last one second longer." Sanji grinned.

"Stupid kid!" For all his talk, Zeff looked more upset than any of them.

"You still want to act cool? Ha, you don't look like much now…I thought you couldn't lose face in front of a woman? This restaurant is closed! And it will become a pirate ship! Try my Pearl Special: Final Punch!"

Again, Sanji didn't move when the iron plate connected. He was sent into the railings this time; Hanley didn't know how much more he could stand. Luffy looked just as upset at being unable to do anything with Zeff captured. She didn't think it was possible, but Hanley's hatred for Krieg soared to new heights. The fire was still going, and people seemed to just now noticing it. Krieg's crew, who had been churning water the entire time, began to frantically try to extinguish the flame before it consumed the entire restaurant. Pearl didn't care in the least, enjoying his game.

"Try to counter if you want that old man to die!"

Sanji wiped his chin and didn't move from his position on the floor. If this kept up…

Luffy yelled in rage and his leg shot up into the air and kept going, stretching higher and higher.

"Are you nuts? Don't hurt him!" Sanji shouted.

"What is that kid thinking?"

"Gomu Gomu no…AXE!" Luffy's foot slammed down onto the porch, destroying it utterly. Water and debris and bodies flew in every direction from the sheer power of the blow. Hanley yelped and fell back as the galleon bucked and splintered from the axe kick. The fire was extinguished, doused by ocean water. When everything finally settled, the porch was in pieces.

"That kid is creating some mess." Somehow, annoyingly, Krieg remained standing. "Gin! Cut that old man's head off."

"But…" Gin began.  
Luffy tilted his head. "Hey! I haven't hurt any of you! I only broke the porch!"

"You idiot! What are you thinking?" screamed Sanji.

"I'm going to destroy this ship."

"_WHAT_?"

Everything devolved into chaos, scores of men screaming at Luffy. Hanley slowly shook her head.

'Men…save me from them.'

"Gin! Don't hesitate! Kill Zeff!" Krieg roared.

"Hey, are you serious?" Sanji had staggered to his feet and lurched toward Luffy. "Do you know why I've stayed here all along?"  
Luffy brandished his fist. "What? Just destroy the ship and their goal cannot be accomplished."

"Do you know how much I owe this place and its importance? You don't understand at all!"

"So you want to die for this restaurant? What an idiot!"

"What did you say?"

Luffy grabbed Sanji by the lapel of his jacket and jerked him off balance.

"You're not repaying him by dying! He didn't save you for this! He saved you, yet you want to die! You are a weakling!"

"Do you have a better idea?"

"Both of you stop fighting now." Pearl picked himself up from the wreckage, a smug smile on his face. "It is your bad luck that you met Krieg's pirates. You can't do anything anyway as long as we have a hostage! I will burn both of you with Fire Pearl!" He clanged his iron plates together, creating that familiar spark as he charged forward.

To everyone's surprise, Gin suddenly dropped his gun and lunged forward, pulling a pair of rounded tonfa out from his jacket. He intercepted Pearl's charge and struck, shattering the iron plates into useless pieces.

"W-What?" Hanley gasped as she straightened. "But…why?" Wasn't he Krieg's lackey? What was going on?

"Sorry, Pearl. Please get out of my way," Gin apologized. Pearl gasped.

"Gin-san…why?"

Krieg bellowed in fury. "GIN! Are you trying to betray me?"

"I am sorry, Captain Krieg. Can I end this man's life with my own hands instead?" Gin shouldered his tonfa and looked back at his captain.

"See? My plan is going great," Luffy boasted.

Sanji snapped, "Liar! You wanted to destroy the ship!"

"Are you out of your mind, Gin…leader of the fighting troops?"

"Sanji-san," Gin began, looking earnest, "I want you to get out of this ship without being injured, but it looks like that is impossible."

"You're damn right!" Sanji agreed, fishing into his pocket.

"So, I would like to be the one who kills you. It's my special honor from me to you."

"Oh, thanks. But you better get lost."

Gin had nothing to say to that, and turned to Luffy next.

"You, too, kid. It would've been better if you left with your friends."

"Eh? Don't worry. I won't lose to a bunch of weaklings like you," Luffy answered, sparking outraged screams from Krieg's men. Gin didn't look particularly upset, but the others' ire was more than enough to make up for it.

"How dare he say that to our commander? They've gone too far this time!"

"Did they realize that we are Krieg's pirates, the strongest pirates of East Blue?"  
Luffy blinked.  
"You claim that you're the strongest only because of you have a lot of people on your side, right?" The whole lot of them seemed to flinch and stare in shock.

Sanji idly pulled out a lighter to ignite another cig.

"They're stunned."  
"So it's true," Luffy observed.

Krieg's pirates all but leaped out of the water, brandishing their weapons.

"If we don't kill him with our own hands-!"

"Enough!" Krieg snapped. "You're upset because someone called you a weakling? Then that means you truly are weaklings! However, it doesn't matter if you're strong or weak-what does matter is results! I am still here, why are you complaining?"

"AYE!"

"Besides-"

Krieg rose with surprising swiftness and stomped on the main deck, splintering it and causing the end Hanley was currently standing on to buck upwards like a make-shift seesaw. Hanley shrieked as she was thrown into the air.

"You didn't really forget about me, did you?" Krieg threw her words back at her as he intercepted her flight. He pulled back an arm and swung his fist. "I will kill you now!"

"Hanley!" cried Luffy as she managed to bring up her arms to block the blow.

It went straight through her defenses.

His diamond fist sent her arms right into her chest and knocked the breath clean out of her body-her arms felt as if they had been crushed. She shot through the air like a bullet, tumbling end over end, legs and arms akimbo as she skid across the water and smashed into debris. Just when she thought she was going to get sick she finally smacked into what was left of the galleon's stern. Hanley groaned as she sank into the water, head ringing. Blood was running down her arms from where her scales had been torn and cracked from the blow.

She could hear Krieg's laughter in the distance, mocking and triumphant. Letting out a string of curses that would even cause her grandfather to stare, Hanley reached up and grasped a makeshift handhold in the broken wood. She slowly pulled herself out of the water.

"Oh? You can still move?" Krieg called.

"Somehow…" Hanley grumbled, surprised herself that the bones in her arms hadn't shattered. "Looks like the battle has begun."

"BASTARD-!" Luffy swept a small group of pirates away with the back of his fist as he headed towards Krieg.

"Monkey D. Luffy!" Hanley stood up straight, resisting the urge to cradle her arms. It was like Master Thai said-you were going to get hurt no matter what you did, so just push through it… "I thought I told you to stay back! Don't help me even if I die!"

'I _must_ have lost my mind.'

Luffy skid to a stop. Hanley shook her head.

"I can do this, Luffy!…_Please_."

"… …" Luffy stared hard at her for a long moment, as if he were looking for something, before nodding. "I got it."

"Are you seriously going to-" Sanji started protesting his decision, but Hanley tuned him out.

'Okay, I can do this. I can do this.' She hadn't even moved yet but sweat started to bead on her forehead. She flexed her hands, making sure the rope bindings were still on nice and tight.

"When facing an armored opponent," Hanley murmured, remembering lessons long ago, "go for openings-joints, the neck, the head if they don't have a helmet…right. That armor looks too strong for me to smash through it, so…"

Krieg beckoned toward her. "Are you scared, woman?"

"I'm not going to win standing here!…" Hanley jumped off the stern and onto the remains of a mast. She was taking a risk with the battle area being mostly ocean (and what little ground she could stand on was slick with water), but she had no choice but start out strong. Hanley leaned her weight onto the balls of her feet and began a full out sprint. All that daily training on the uneven ground on the mountain came in handy as she bounded across various floating platforms and barrels, automatically shifting her weight so she didn't simply sink right into the ocean.

Krieg sneered and opened his arms wide.

"You stupid woman! Only the chosen can become true pirates of the sea-and I will be the greatest!"

"That'll be me!" Luffy couldn't help but interject.

"When I reach the top, I will clean out the chafe and the unworthy! And I will start…" Krieg took one of the large pauldrons off his shoulder and held it up like a shield. Hanley blinked in confusion when the shield split in half and a small cannon jutted out of the jolly roger's mouth. "with MH5."

"MH…5?" Hanley muttered, coming to a stop. She wasn't sure what Krieg had planned, and it wasn't as if she was sturdy enough to bear the consequences of blindly rushing in. She was shocked when Krieg's men began screaming and ducking for cover.

'What is it? A special gun? A bomb?'

"W-Wait a minute, Captain Krieg!" Gin shouted. "If you use that, it will cover the entire area!"

"I don't care. This is a fight, and the only goal is to win. As long as victory is mine, even I will use a poison gas."

"Poison gas?" Sanji began, only to be interrupted by Gin's shout.

"Captain! Stop!"

"You inhale this gas just one time, the poison will get into your bloodstream, and then you'll die." He braced his arm and fired. "This is real power!"

"Are you fucking crazy?" Hanley looked around in desperation. Gin was right, with the way the wind was blowing, it would cover the entire area in very little time. His men were more than prepared, quickly pulling on gas masks while others dove into the sea. Shit, Luffy didn't _have_ that option!

"Damn!" If she moved fast, she could dive in the water, swim over, and hopefully get to Luffy before-

The bomb exploded, only it wasn't gas. Hanley's eyes widened and she twisted out of the way of a flying shuriken that went right by her throat. She blocked two more with her arm and leg as they headed right for her head and belly. Thankfully they were nothing special-although it stung when one clanged against the ruined scales on her forearm.

"Son of a-!"

"The poison gas is an important weapon, so I have to use it wisely! I think it'd be better to use it to destroy a small village. I won't waste it on a bunch of cowards and a woman!" Krieg gave her a condescending look. "Do you still wish to fight against the inevitable?"

"Fuck you!"

Krieg's features twisted into an angry sneer.

"So be it!"

The pauldron face, now shield, split into quarters, revealing a series of holes underneath. The shield began to spin like an improvised Gatling gun, shooting rounds of spikes at her. Hanley smiled grimly and charged forward.

'Who would have thought years of having spikes shot at me would come in handy?'

Hanley pretended she was back at home on the mountain, with spikes raining down on her. She had learned early on that the easiest thing to do was to dodge by shifting her weight and twisting. They sailed by harmlessly as she advanced, tilting her shoulders and keeping her arms close to her sides to make herself a smaller target. If all else failed she could dive into the water, but she wanted to keep that ability of hers a secret for as long as possible. Anything to get an upper hand on him.

The remaining distance between them was open water, so she would have to jump; unfortunately, that would leave her wide open.

"No choice, Soru!" Her leading foot came down hard on a railing, causing it to buckle but not break luckily, and once again there was that odd sensation of her surroundings slowing down. She could see Krieg's expression slowly go from smug to shock. His shield was still held up high, covering half of his head and even with her speed he could make the adjustment to block any blow. The moment Hanley's foot touched down on Krieg's platform she went low, skidding across the slick wood and using her left hand as a pivot to swing her legs around in a sweep. She managed to catch him across the ankles and he fell onto his back with a loud crash. The wood buckled and groaned from the weight, but held.

'I can't hold Soru for long, but if I just focus on short bursts of speed I should be able to stretch it out… …well, maybe.' There wasn't the tell tale ache in her knees yet, but she would have to be careful.

"Captain Krieg!"

Hanley attempted to keep up her momentum by following up the sweep with an axe kick, but Krieg quickly rolled out of range and was up on his feet. Hanley quickly followed, trying to press her brief advantage with a spinning heel kick. Her foot clanged on Krieg's shield and she quickly pulled her leg back before it was grabbed.

"You uppity bitch!" Krieg thrust the shield forward.

"Soru!" Hanley managed to dash out of the way, slipping and sliding on the wet deck, and brought her knee to her chest. "Dragon Kick!"

With a flick of a wrist, Krieg swung his cape around, covering his body with a protective armor of spikes. Hanley howled when her foot went crashing into the barrier. In her haze of pain and adrenaline she thought she saw one go right through her foot. She pulled back, stumbling.

"Try running on that!" The diamond fist was swinging toward her face again. Hanley raised her arms-useless she knew but it was better than catching it in the eye-and was punched into the deck so hard she literally bounced upon impact. Blood filled her mouth and she saw stars as Krieg grabbed her hair and yanked her up.

"Mother fu-shit!" Hanley cursed before a massive hand closed around her throat.

"You honestly thought you could win against me. How pathetic."

"Hanley! Dammit, Gin, move!" Sanji was shouting and Hanley actually found that a little touching. Was Luffy okay? What was he doing?

"No one can win against Don Krieg, Sanji-san!" Gin was shouting right back at him "She was foolish to try!"

'Well, I won't argue with that,' Hanley thought dimly as she hung from Krieg's fist.

"Right, Gin! I am the strongest in East Blue!" Krieg then shoved her head underwater. "Now die!"

Hanley panicked for a moment before remembering that she didn't need to breathe underwater…not for a hour, at least. Still, she made a show of clawing at his hands while she desperately tried to think of a way out of this situation. Should she fake dead? That was too risky for her liking, as he could simply snap her neck at any moment and be done with it. Hanley looked around, hoping something would inspire her-

A sake bottle.

It probably came from the restaurant, or it even could have come from the sack of food Zeff gave Krieg's men. Hanley truly felt like laughing. She reached out with her left hand, straining to grasp its narrow neck. She fell short on her first attempt, but the next bared better results. The moment she had a good grip she swung as hard as she could. The bottle smashed against Krieg's temple and shattered. It probably stunned more than hurt, but it was enough for him to let her go. Hanley pushed herself out into the water.

'Damn…damn that _hurt_…' She grasped her poor left foot to inspect the damage. Now that it was in the water, it was healing up; regardless, the hole in her foot made her gag. Hanley surfaced with a gasp. Krieg was cursing at her, while Gin was fighting Sanji…and winning. Even from her vantage point Hanley could see the other was favoring his ribs. It was a miracle he was still standing.

Hanley gasped for breath and considered her options. Soru was out, not with her foot being the way it was. Still! Hanley shot forward and all but leaped out of the water.

"First things, first! That cape has to go!"

Krieg snarled. "I'll kill you!"

In a move that was half inspired and more than half desperation, she used her good foot to launch her into the air. She quickly tucked her legs in to increase her rotation as she flipped over Krieg's head. She then snapped her foot downwards, catching Krieg on the crown of his head. As he stumbled, Hanley landed and forcefully grasped his robe.

"This…has to come off!" She yanked as hard as she could. The spiked robe came off with some difficulty, and Hanley nearly dropped it from its sheer weight. She tossed it aside.

"You are really starting to annoy me, woman…" Krieg said with barely controlled anger.

"Shut up and bleed."

Krieg's crew were starting to murmur.

"H-Hey…that woman's lasting a long time…"

"She even managed to hit him…"

Sanji and Gin had reached an impasse, once again watching her fight. Krieg heard the talk and grew even more enraged. He lifted the other pauldron from his shoulder and brought both shields together.

"I cannot tolerate this impudence! This will be your grave!"

"My grandfather hits harder than you!" Hanley retorted-it was also fact. Krieg, however, took the statement at face value and all but roared. A blade protruded from the end while he attached a pole to create a long spear. He twirled it expertly and lifted it above his head.

"Unlike those lances from before, with this spear, you can die in one hit!"

Hanley threw herself to the side when Krieg smashed the deck where she was standing moments before. Hanley screamed in shock when an explosion followed the hit. The sheer force pushed her forward and she landed clumsily on the deck.

'That thing really could kill me!' Dammit, what a time to have a lame foot!

Krieg wasn't going to give her any breathing room, swinging the heavy lance easily. Hanley could only dance out of the way as best she could. She rolled, flipped and desperately tried to stay one step ahead of Krieg's lance. The fighting area didn't make it any less dangerous, as her bare feet slid across the wood while Krieg's heavy combat boots found traction far more easily. Ironically, however, it was that same wet surface that caused her to slide right into Krieg's guard. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Hanley quickly jumped off Krieg's knee to deliver another flying knee to the face.

"Kao Loi!" She then brought her elbow down on top of his head. "Sok Sub!"

"Pathetic!" Krieg grasped the back of her shirt and flung her aside. Hanley slid for a bit before slamming down her hands to stop.

'Good thing I did put these ropes on-my hands would be full of splinters right now!'

Hanley then realized she was sitting still for too long. She gasped in terror and flicked her eyes upward to see the one ton spear heading right at her face. She rolled to the side just in time, but the explosion slammed into her and she couldn't hear, couldn't see and it was unbearably hot-

When Hanley came to, her ears were ringing and she couldn't move her body without flinching. She slowly blinked until her white tinged vision slowly came into focus.

'I'm…alive…?'

Krieg had his back to her and was shouting for some reason. Hanley rolled her head to the side with a wince. She was currently sprawled in a half sitting position, legs submerged in water.

"…I can't kill this man, Captain Krieg!" Gin was in tears while Sanji lay on the deck under one of his tonfa. Luffy was beside himself. Hanley couldn't think of any other way to describe it. The last time he was that angry was at Kuro back in Sirop.

Krieg shook his head. "You really can't kill him? You disappoint me, Gin. I always believed you were one of my most trusted crewmen. The reason I made you commander of fifty ships was because I saw something in you."

"I understand that, and I've never thought of betraying you. Until now, everything that I've done for you, I never regretted! I've always respected your power, and admired you; but, this is the only man that I can't kill! So, Captain Krieg, if it's possible, can you let this ship go?"

'What's happening…Gin is doing that…for Sanji…?' Hanley slowly brought a hand up to rub her face. It was pinched and burned and she was honestly surprised she still had eyebrows.

The crewmen began shouting in disbelief.

"Gin-san, what are you saying?"

"What's happened to you?"

"What's wrong with our commander?"

Krieg bellowed, "My most loyal commander dares go against me? Your idea pisses me off!" He raised a shield again, and this time Hanley doubted it would be the simple shuriken bomb again. Her suspicions were confirmed when screams filled the air and the men pulled out their masks.

"But…we survived because of this restaurant!" Gin continued, trying to make Krieg see reason.

"Throw away your mask. You are not one of my men anymore."

Gin jerked back as if he had been punched in the gut.

"Captain Krieg…"

"THROW AWAY YOUR MASK!" Krieg leveled his arm and prepared to fire.

'If that goes off…he gets that shot off…Luffy and Sanji-kun would-!' Hanley slowly crawled onto her hands and knees. 'Just one whiff and they'll be dead! Krieg, I won't let you! I refuse to let them-no!'

Hanley couldn't be exactly sure what happened then. It could have been adrenaline or something else; she wasn't quite sure as she couldn't exactly see herself. Her vision wasn't that great, for one. It was probably an after effect of being at ground zero, but Krieg was really hard to make out, and it was impossible to see the others beyond him. Still, oddly, she knew exactly where he was. He smelled of metal and blood and sweat, and…was that his heartbeat? Surely not. Hanley was aware of hissing and practically spitting in fury, and her nails were sharp and outstretched. Krieg had broken down his spear, so all he had was the shield. He shouted and swung around to shoot her, but she was on him in the next second. She sank her teeth into his cheek bone, and there was an odd draining sensation from her canines as she clawed at his face. Krieg wasn't going to kill Luffy! The only way he was going to harm her Hanuman was over her still cooling corpse-

Krieg wrapped both hands around her waist and literally ripped her off. She bounced along the deck before rolling to a stop, gasping for breath. Her vision cleared and the furious haze lifted. She raised her head and looked at Krieg, who had been forced to drop his shield into the ocean.

"HANLEY! You're okay! HANLEY!" Luffy's overjoyed shouts washed over her and she managed to smile…before gagging and spitting out the blood in her mouth.

"Damn, what was that? Have I lost it?" she spat a couple more times and retched.

"Bitch! You meddlesome-" Krieg's next few words weren't very kind. His face was beet red from sheer fury, nearly as dark as the blood gushing down his ruined cheek.

Hanley groaned and managed to sit up. "I told you-not until I die…and…I won't let you harm Luffy and Sanji-kun!"

"I'm so moved, Hanley!" Sanji called, swooning. Hanley huffed in amusement and tried to stand.

'I…think that's it…I can't move any more…guess I will die.' Hanley couldn't help but blink away tears. 'I suppose…I couldn't do anything after all, Grandfather. I simply can't overpower him…'

But, was that even the point?

Luffy and Sanji were screaming at her as Krieg stalked toward her, face still red and veins all but protruding from his face and neck.

'If I was that hopeless, why did you still train me, even as he insulted my gender…'

It came to Hanley then, and she felt like crying.

'Oh Grandfather, I'm sorry…I'm an idiot. Were you trying to tell me that brute strength wasn't everything? I had to rely on skill instead? That, through technique, I would have been able to…'

Well, she was pretty sure she was dead anyway.

"Master Thai…" Hanley whispered.

"I'm going to enjoy this." Krieg panted. Hanley blinked. Odd, was it just her, or did Krieg look to be in a lot of pain?

She had assumed his purpling face was due to rage, but that couldn't be as his movements became sluggish and he seemed to foam at the mouth. Bulbous veins protruded and throbbed in his face and neck as he struggled to breathe. Hanley stared in alarm as he hacked once, then twice, and took a deep shuddering breath. She could practically hear the fluid in his lungs.

"What…did you do…woman?"

"Captain Krieg!" Gin screamed, reaching towards him. Krieg fell to his knees and began shaking.

"Oh my god…" Hanley whispered as she tried to crawl away from him. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting that way?

When Krieg raised a hand to his cheek she understood.

Hanley carefully felt in her mouth. Nothing felt that different. She examined her saliva and, well, it certainly looked normal, so what…

Krieg slumped to the ground and didn't move. The entire area was completely silent save for his shuddering breaths. No one seemed sure what to do.

"I…did I win?" Hanley wondered, confused. All she did was bite the man- "I…won?" Hanley lifted her head and met Luffy's bright smile.

"Shishi, that was pretty cool what you did, Hanley."

'The hell _did_ I do?'

"Hanuman…"

"That's better."

"Wh-What?"

"I like it better when it's Hanuman."

"That's because I use your real name when I'm upset!" Krieg's men were staring at her in horror. Gin was slowly shaking his head in denial.

Hanley looked at the still gasping Krieg before she tilted her head back and staring at the sky. It wasn't exactly the victory she had been hoping for, but Master Thai would have said it was enough.

"And it's good enough for me. You know, Krieg…you're not so scary, anymore."

In the end, she couldn't even gather the strength to walk back over to the restaurant. Sanji was delighted to carry her while Gin and Krieg's men took care of their captain.

"From my travels, you can't help but see that," Zeff told her as he nodded towards Krieg, "In the warm waters of South Blue, their sea snake population is very robust. They're pretty mellow, but it's not unheard of for fishermen to get bitten and die within the hour. Unless that man gets an antivenin that works…"

Zeff didn't finish the sentence, but it was pretty obvious what was going to happen at that point.

So why didn't she feel happier?

"Zeff-san…can you be happy that someone's dead, but not happy that you killed them?"

"Heh, I suspect a great many people feel that way."

Gin was staring at Krieg solemnly before he straightened and stared right at her. Hanley could feel Sanji stiffen and Luffy grew tense beside them. Was he going to attack? Try to seek revenge? The other men's confidence and morale had taken a serious blow when Krieg fell, and they certainly weren't in the mood to even fight a cold.

"Let's retreat, men," Gin said, finally, as he hefted Krieg's large form, "thanks for everything, Sanji-san."

"Sure…don't you come back again," Sanji answered. Gin paused for a long moment and nodded.

"See you again at Grand Line."

Sanji raised an eyebrow. "Krieg is as good as dead. You will continue to be a pirate?"

"I thought about it…looks like Captain Krieg's dream has become my dream as well."

'I hope he doesn't use the same methods…'

"I truly believed no one could beat Captain Krieg; I was wrong. So then I must continue on in his stead." Gin's face crumpled for a moment, and Hanley cringed at the sight of it. "I had wanted to escape from Krieg's power, and yet…even though he won't survive the hour…"

Gin shook his head and straightened.

"I learned something today. If there is something you want to do, then don't worry about the consequences…seeing all of you…it's not a bad way to live, don't you think?"

Sanji didn't answer right away, but when Hanley looked up at him he was slowly nodding.

"Patty, Carne…bring him a shipping boat."

Patty jumped. "What? Are you crazy?"

"Why do you want to give the pirates that tried to rob us a boat?" added Carne.

"Just do it!" Sanji roared. "Oh, excuse me for shouting, my lady."

"Um… …it's fine." Hanley closed her eyes with a sigh.

She hated Krieg, with every fiber of her being, and she thought that he deserved the end he got.

'But…I still killed a man.'

No, Hanley wasn't very happy at all.

* * *

When she next woke up, she was, thankfully, in a bed. She still ached all over, but now it was dull throb instead of gut wrenching agony. Hanley slowly sat up with a sigh, eyes focused on Luffy and Sanji as they talked out on the balcony. Sanji looked uncharacteristically bright eyed and happy, considering Luffy wasn't a woman. The scene was enough to make her smile. At least something was going right today. Hanley rubbed her face and picked up the glass of water on the night stand. There was a pitcher beside it, full of fresh water.

Hanley had never felt so thirsty in her life.

She was also wearing a blue pinstriped shirt that wasn't hers, which led her to believe her old one didn't survive the fight. Why was she going through clothes so fast? It's not like Luffy was having any trouble. Hanley gulped down the water before bypassing the glass completely and drinking straight from the pitcher.

"Hi, Hanley!" Luffy bounded back into the room and hopped on her bed, nearly causing her to choke. She barely managed not to spill water down her front.

"Ah, you are awake." Sanji was more sedate in his greeting, thankfully.

Hanley grinned. "Sorry to pass out again on you guys…oh, is this your shirt?"

"Your other one was pretty much ruined. It was funny when it fell off!" Luffy laughed while Sanji coughed.

'_There is nothing funny about that_.' Thank god she usually wore a swimsuit under her clothing.

Luffy snapped his fingers and dug into his pocket.

"Oh, here! I kept it safe for you." He pulled out her still black magatama and handed it to her. Hanley sighed in relief, even though she knew she could trust him with it.

"Thanks, Hanuman…I really appreciate it." It wasn't burning any longer, but it was still pitch black. Hanley didn't really feel like wondering about it now, so she simply slipped it over her head.

"It's fine. Now that you're up, we can go eat!"

"Haha, of course!" Hanley ruffled his hair before kissing his forehead. "I'm glad you're alive."

Luffy rubbed his forehead, looking perplexed. A second later he shrugged it off as was his wont.

"I will never die."

"If it's you…somehow, I can believe it."

Hanley looked around, noticing how quiet it was.

"Where's Krieg's Armada?"

Sanji sighed softly.

"Gone. They left a couple of hours ago."

'A couple of hours…then, by now, Krieg must be…' Hanley's lips twisted and she shook her head. She'll think about it later.

"Shishi! Oh, have you heard of All Blue?" Luffy asked suddenly, as if picking up on the downturn of her mood.

"All Blue?" Hanley thought for a moment.

Sanji entered the conversation then, eyes gleaming.

"It's a mystical ocean where all the seas of the world meet…"

Sanji regaled her with stories of the legendary ocean-how fish from every sea can be found there, and how it was rumored to be in Grand Line.

"That's a good dream, Sanji-kun." They were heading down to the second floor cafeteria to get some much needed food in their bellies. Luffy's certainly sounded as if it was eating itself.

Sanji nodded enthusiastically.

"I'm going to find All Blue one day. Hopefully we'll meet again."

"Meet again? Then…you're not coming with us?" Hanley couldn't help but feel sorely disappointed in that. Maybe those feminine wiles would have come in handy? But Nami was gone, so…

"If only I could stay in your presence but a day longer; sadly, no."

"Oh…I guess I'll have to kidnap you, then," Hanley replied, half way serious. She tried not to laugh he started sputtering.

"Hey, good idea!" Luffy was completely serious.

"You don't know the meaning of giving up, do you?" Sanji sighed as he opened the door.

The cafeteria was packed; so packed there wasn't even an empty chair left…wait.

"Hey, where are our seats?" asked Sanji, noticing the same thing.

"Where's the food?" Luffy was far more concerned with filling his stomach than the seating arrangements. Hanley frowned and crossed her arms when the chefs didn't even so much as look at them. It was the strangest thing-totally different from their behavior a couple hours ago.

Finally, one of the chefs deigned to acknowledge their presence.

"There's nowhere to sit, so sit on the floor!"

Sanji looked affronted.

"Sit on the floor? What sort of restaurant is this?" Sanji shook his head a moment later. "Well, can't help it. Don't worry, I'll get your food, Hanley. And you can sit on my jacket."

Hanley tried to decline his offer but he was already moving towards the serving table. Hanley shrugged and decided to roll with it. The floor was practically spotless, but Hanley still felt obliged to search for the cleanest spot before putting Sanji's jacket down. He'd already given her a shirt. She slowly and achingly sat on the hardwood floor and folded her legs underneath her. Luffy and Sanji joined her soon after, Sanji grumbling all the while.

"Forcing a lady to sit on the floor, it's shameful."

Hanley's lips twitched upward as she took her tray.

"I know you would never do such a thing."

"Of course not!"

Luffy glanced over at the chefs seated at the tables.

"Why are they looking so strange."

"They always look strange." Sanji was dismissive as he bit into a hot roll. Hanley started in on her rice when Patty stood up and held up a bowl.

"Hey! Who made the soup this morning?"

Sanji brightened. "I did! Isn't it good? I worked very hard on it!"

"It's horrible, I can't eat it! It's worse than pig's food!" Patty threw down the bowl, soup and all. Sanji's face quickly went from expectant to angry. Luffy hardly paused in stuffing his face as Sanji jumped onto his feet. Hanley took a sip of the soup herself.

"What is he talking about? This is…"

"Oh, yeah? I don't think your mouth is good enough for my soup!" Sanji retorted.

"Hmph! It makes me want to puke, it really sucks!" Patty continued, giving an emphatic thumbs down. Sanji's expression grew darker and more furious by the second. Hanley began stuffing her face as well. Luffy may have the right idea-if something went down, best to eat as much while they could.

"Excuse me, but that soup was my special recipe. There must be something wrong with your tongue."

Carne began coughing.

"Ew! Bad, bad!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Sanji bellowed. The sound of another bowl clattering and breaking on the floor caused him to turn. "Old man!"

Zeff wiped his mustache with the heel of his hand.

"If I served that to my customers, my restaurant would go out of business. What is that tasteless soup?"

Sanji stormed up to him and grabbed his lapels.

"That's enough, Old Man! Tell me! What's the difference between my soup and yours?"  
"Compare my soup to yours?" Zeff's fist shot out and caught Sanji across the jaw. "Stop dreaming!"

"Honor…can punch?" Patty whispered in shock.

Zeff held up his fist. "It's one hundred years too early to compare my food to yours, kid! I have been cooking around the world!"

A heavy silence fell. Sanji glared at Zeff before pivoting on his heel and racing out of the cafeteria.

"Dammit!" he shouted as he slammed the door behind him.  
"Hey…" Luffy took a large swallow of soup. "This soup is really good. Why?"

Hanley nodded. "That's right; it's really great! Why say that to him when…?"

All the chefs seemed to sag and return to their former selves.

"Aw, we know, this is so scary!"  
"He's really mad at us!"

"If we don't do this, he won't listen," answered Zeff, crossing his arms with a loud sigh. "Hey, kid! Can you take that kid to Grand Line with you? Grand Line…has always been his dream."

"You shouldn't make up a story like that, Honor!" one of the chefs laughed.

"Hey, I want more soup!"

"Me, too!"

Hanley smiled wryly and accepted one man's offer to help her up to a chair. She brushed off Sanji's jacket and folded it up neatly.

'So that's how it is…what a great place.'

Honor Zeff raised an eyebrow.

"Well? Can you take Sanji with you?"

"No." Luffy went back to his food.

"Hanuman!…" Hanley cried in surprise.

"What do you mean, kid? Didn't you say you wanted a chef? What's wrong with Sanji?" Zeff asked.

Luffy shrugged.

"Nothing's wrong with him; I want him to come with me. But he said he wants to stay here. Even though you want me to take him, I just can't… …can I have more food?"

"You mean, you can't take him with you unless he said so."

"Yes. So, more food?"

"I guess it wouldn't be right to drag him along…but Hanuman, I thought you wanted to kidnap him ten minutes ago?" Hanley asked.

Luffy waved his hand as if that wasn't worth thinking about. Knowing him…it really wasn't.

"Well! That's the way he is. However, I don't think it'll be easy for him to say he'll go," said Zeff.

A loud shout from outside caused everyone to freeze for a moment before racing from the cafeteria. Sanji was sprawled on the deck beneath…what the hell was she even looking at?  
"Is it a mermaid?" a Baratie chef asked.

"D'you think he came from Mermaid Island to eat at our restaurant?" A couple of them glanced sideways at Hanley and she sputtered.

"I'm not a fish!"

Zeff grunted. "Are you crazy? This is a human in a killer whale."

"Yosaku?" Luffy asked. Indeed, it was Yosaku, who looked far worse for the wear considering everything he had been through in the past week. While Luffy and some of the other chefs saw to fixing him up from his ordeal, Hanley checked on Sanji and handed him his jacket back.

"I only know where Nami went." Yosaku was answering Luffy's queries as he shivered under a blanket. Luffy was seated cross legged on the floor before him.

"Okay, then just go and bring her back."

"However, if I guess right, the place she went is very dangerous. I'll tell you more later. We need your special power, Luffy."  
"I don't understand, but okay. Let's go, Hanley!"

Hanley nodded grimly. No rest for the weary, it looked like.

"Right!"

"Wait." Sanji was leaning against the far wall, smoking a cigarette with a stoic expression on his face. "I will go, too. Take me with you."

"Sanji-kun…?"

"You want to become the greatest pirate, right?" he asked Luffy. "That means we both have crazy dreams. I will do what I want from now on! I will become your chef…that a problem?"

Luffy threw both hands in the air and cheered.

"Alright! Excellent!"

Hanley felt like cheering herself. Good food, here she comes!

"Sanji-kun, I could kiss you!"

Sanji's cool expression quickly devolved into a blush and goofy smiles.  
"Ah, you are so forward, Hanley-chwan!"

Hanley smiled widely and settled for giving him a pat on the shoulder. She would think about Don Krieg later, when everything wasn't so busy and worrisome. She'll also have to find out what the hell happened when she lost her senses and bit him…

But, right now, Hanley was sure that woman or not, she could move forward, too.

'Becoming Pirate King, becoming the world's greatest swordsman, finding All Blue…maybe it wouldn't hurt to have a dream like those myself. Hm…become the most famous female pirate-that has a ring to it.'

* * *

Omake: Krut Hanley

While the others packed, and gathered food, Hanley busied herself with preparing Sanji's boat. It was a good, sturdy vessel, and maybe they could even use it as a back up of some kind. Hanley leaned on the railing and slipped off her necklace so she could look at her magatama. It hadn't changed back since she got it, and she was starting to worry. Hell, she was starting to think it was _angry_ at her.

Hanley had gotten used to the thing's weirdness over the years. She never really thought about where it came from all that much-only that it was her father's. It was all she had of her parents, really. Now, though, Hanley couldn't help but think that it was, well, alive. Not simply some kind of magical ornament, but a living thing. Something with a soul, almost. After all, back on Earth, that's what magatama essentially represented, right?

She ran her fingers over the cool stone. If that was the case, then…

"I'm sorry I threw you away…I'm sorry I thought you were a distraction. You're only trying to help me, aren't you?" Hanley then gave it a small, brief kiss. To her delight, it grew warm under her fingers and lightened back to its lovely blue-green jade color.

Hanley pressed it to her cheek with a sigh.

"Odd…you make me feel so nostalgic."

She never saw its answering glow.

* * *

_To be continued..._


	16. Interlude IV

_Hanley_

Interlude IV: Blast from the Past

* * *

Portgas D. Ace

North Blue was as frigid as always.

Ace didn't often travel up here, preferring warmer climes more often than not. Navigating the icy waters wasn't that easy, and Ace had to use his flames a few times in place of a proper ice breaker. Still, there was one thing he absolutely had to do.

'I wonder what he's like,' Ace wondered as he adjusted the thick gloves on his hands. His crew thought he was more than a little crazy; then again, they were also used to it.

"We're nearing the location, Captain!" his navigator called as they circled around a snowy cliff. In the distance, he could see a great ship anchored in a small cove, naturally protected from the weather. Ace grinned in excitement. Looks like tracking down those rumors finally paid off. It was far out of the way, but Ace knew then that if he didn't leap on such a chance now, there would be no telling when the next opportunity could arise.

"Great!" Ace answered and held up a hand. "Weigh anchor! We'll approach on foot!"

"Aye!"

"Y'sure this a good idea, Cap'n? Y'don' just waltz up t' Red Hair," Oyaji rumbled from deep within his chest. Oyaji wasn't his true name, but he was by far the oldest crew member in the Spade Pirates, and the nickname pretty much stuck. He was a massive man, just the same, with a scarred eye and long orange hair. He was also a surprisingly chatty guy even if he looked like he was carved out of stone; although there was a running joke on deck about how long it took to translate the deep West Blue brogue.

"Doesn't matter if it's a good idea," Ace answered as he stepped out onto the gangplank, "it's something I have to do."

They were stepping into a near blizzard; the wind was biting and kicked up snow in their faces, making it hard to see. Their goal was a small opening in the rock face up above-hopefully they wouldn't get shot upon approaching.

A young man with dark blue hair waved his hands and grinned slyly.

"Come now, lads, we should be more supportive-even if we're about to freeze our collective balls off. He's meeting the man who saved his brother and lady fair…it's right romantic."

Ace rolled his eyes.

"She's not-" he sighed and shrugged. "Oh well, I had better let you have your fantasies, seeing as that's the most you'll ever get, Rand."

The others were quick laugh and tease Rand with good natured ribbing while Ace pushed on ahead.

"Mutter a name in your sleep once and you're branded for life…" he grumbled. Oyaji merely smiled.

The men continued their slow trek upward, slogging through deep snow and huddling together in a manner that _had_ to look pathetic. When they finally reached the mouth of the cave one of the men in the back called out.

"Are you serious, Ace?"

"I want to meet him no matter what!" Ace stepped boldly into the cave's entrance, eyes adjusting to the low light given off by various torches leading downward into the earth. "Besides, it's a little to late to be asking that."

"Shouldn't we be seeing someone by now? I didn't think it would be this easy…" whispered someone from behind him.  
Oyaji grunted. "Don' get ahead of yo'self. He _lettin_' us come in."

Ace nodded in agreement and shook the snow off his cloak. They had been watched from the moment they entered area. The men were unusually silent as they followed the short path downward. It soon opened up to a wide cavern. Scores of men were eating or drinking around them; it was surprisingly comfortable.

"You want to greet me?" asked a man from near the rear of the cavern. He was a simple looking man, with bright red hair and three, claw-like scars running across his left eye. Ace smiled at the sight of him and held up his hands to show he was unarmed.

"Well, that's not what I meant! It's just, my little brother and Hanley were always bragging about you, the one who saved their lives. They told me to thank you if we ever met!"

Red Haired Shanks straightened briefly in surprise before smiling.

"You're Luffy's…so he had a brother? Thanks for coming here and telling me!" Shanks grabbed a nearby tankard and held it up in the air. "This calls for a celebration!"

His crew cheered and began to break open more barrels and drink in earnest.

Shanks waved him over.

"Come on, have a seat!"

"Thanks! He wasn't much trouble, was he?"

"Luffy? Not at all! Tell me how they're doing!"

Ace respectfully took his hat off his head and balanced it on his knee. It was true that Shanks' men were real party animals, but his crew weren't slouches either and were keeping up admirably.

"They're doing fine. They're working hard, last I saw. I tried to get Hanley to come with me, but she was being stubborn about it." Ace accepted a tankard of rum. "And Luffy's getting stronger by the day."

"I'm glad to hear it. I have no doubt we'll be hearing about them in a few years' time."

"Hope so!" Ace already had plans of framing Luffy's first official bounty poster, no matter what his crew said.

"Oi! Ishamon! You wanna hear, don't you?"

Ace spotted an older man with thick glasses off to the side. He wasn't really taking part in the festivities, preferring to quietly label and organize a set of crystal vials.

"I heard."

Ben snorted in amusement.

"Trying to act nonchalant when you were the most worried out of any of us."

Ishamon huffed and didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, his attention was on another crew-member who was trying to push his way through the crowd.

"What is it? Something wrong?"

The young man bowed quickly.

"Please forgive my interruption, sirs, but I have to speak to…" he saw Ace and his entire being seemed to brighten. "You! You said Hanley, didn't you? A-Amano Hanley?"

Ace blinked in surprise.

"I…yeah-!" Ace jerked when the man's hands landed on his shoulders and shook him slightly.

"Really? She's alive?"  
Shanks held up a hand.

"Hey there, now! Calm down, son."

The young man took a deep breath and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me…" he adjusted his wire-frame glasses and smoothed his shirt. "It's just…I never thought I'd hear that name again…"

"Uh oh, Captain!" Rand called. "Competition?"

Ace waved him off and examined the man with a critical eye. Hanley never really talked about where she came from-she certainly never talked about any of the people she knew before Fuusha. Still, he could hear it in the man's voice-that same odd lilting accent that Hanley never quite got rid of.

The man was muttering to himself now, face animated.

"I can't believe it…I thought I was the only one…I thought I was crazy for the longest time…"

'I'm not sure you aren't crazy,' Ace thought testily, feeling slightly irritated.

"I wonder…that Japan place…you're also from there?" Ben asked. The young man froze and nervously ran his fingers through his short black hair.

"It's hard to explain…that's not important."

Ace felt doubly irritated. Where did he know her from, and why was it so secretive?

Still, there was no harm in letting him have what he wanted to know.

"She's in East Blue right now, in a village in the Kingdom of Goa."

"I see," he murmured, looking thoughtful.

"If you want to go, you can." Shanks offered. The young man stared at him before shaking his head.

"No…no. That's fine. I owe you my life-I can't leave just yet." He smiled at Ace. "Thank you. That's the best news I've heard in a long time. It…made me believe, again."


	17. Übermensch

Hi, guys, it's been a while, hasn't it? To make a long, pathetic story short, I had a really rough time of it these last few months. I was miserable, and found it nearly impossible to enjoy anything I did. Writing, especially, and I rewrote this chapter several times, erasing twenty pages at a time. Lol, and this is what I was left with. Once again, much too long but hopefully enjoyable. The new year is approaching, so I'm taking it as a way to get a fresh start. Consider this my Christmas present to all y'all :) Special thanks again to Spellcaster Hikaru for looking it over for me. Thanks also go to those who reviewed/alerted/faved/along those lines.

Now, without further ado:

_Hanley_

Chapter XII: Übermensch

* * *

"_I teach you the overman_. Man is something that shall be overcome. What have you done to overcome him?" Zarathustra, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Frederick Nietzche

* * *

Arlong

Fisher Tiger was dying.

Logically, he was just as susceptible to the whims of life as anyone else, and it wasn't as if they didn't see it coming. He has been ill for a good year, his health spiraling downward even faster the past few weeks. It was all the ship's doctor could do to replace the bandages covering the scale rot fast enough. His eyes had long scabbed over and his sight had long become useless. First Mate Jimbeihad already taken over the vast amount of Fisher Tiger's duties since he was bed ridden, and really, was captain in everything but name.

Still, Fisher Tiger was dying.

The crew scaled back operations and returned to the main vessel, silently and respectfully waiting for the end. A few were already starting to mourn. Arlong could only gaze at them in disgust. Fisher Tiger was larger than life, a true force. The only shame here wasn't that he was dying, but rather that it was before he could complete his goals. They should be indignant of it all! They had led such retched lives until Tiger came and freed them years ago. If only they had a few more years...just a few more, and not even Whitebeard himself would stand against them. It would have been a return to the natural order.

No, Fisher Tiger was a fishman of tremendous talent and influence, the kind that are born only once in a century. They would have to think long and hard on how to continue his work. As for now, they were heading for Fishman Island, hoping to get there in time before Tiger's end, but judging from his health that wasn't going to be possible.

"Make way, Arlong."

Arlong turned unconsciously shifted to the side, allowing just enough room for Jimbei's bulk to pass by uninhibited. He was being accompanied by a woman, one Arlong had never seen before. At first glance, Arlong thought that Jimbei had taken complete leave of his senses and brought a human on board, but once he saw the dark red scales he forced himself to relax. An older mermaid, most likely, although why she was here...

Arlong wasn't above eavesdropping, so he doubled back and circled around the main cabin. Fisher Tiger typically kept his windows open to let in fresh air, even more important now due to the foul stench of decay. Arlong leaned against the wall beside the starboard hatch, focusing all of his senses on the conversation within.

"...ve brought her, Captain." Jimbei spoke quietly.

"Good...leave us." Fisher Tiger sounded so weak Arlong nearly didn't recognize his voice. His curiosity got the better of him and he tilted his head to peer inside. It took a bit of doing, but he could just make out Tiger's bulk laying prone on the bed. His face was hidden in shadow, and Arlong could make out the multitude of bloody bandages that swathed his form. The woman stood at the foot of the bed, her red hair tied up in elaborate knots and various necklaces clacking around her neck. Arlong could make out several multi-colored charms on one, while the others were covered with small bones of birds and fish who knows what else.

"...Well, isn't this cheery? You look so bad, Fisher Tiger. You don't have long."

"No, I do not."

"So? You're very lucky I decided to come after all. I have better things to do with my time than watch a half dead fish flop around."

Arlong grit his teeth and took a moment to push down his temper. Arrogant bitch-

Fisher Tiger surprised him by laughing, as well as he could laugh at that point.

"The same...as always...Handerson. Just like a Snake."

"Hmph. Since you are right outside Death's Door, perhaps you wish for my services? I cannot do anything for you now, but I can ease your passing quite easily."

"I'm sure you could, but I won't have you using my bones."

"Hardly. Who wants your diseased, leprosy-ravaged bones? You know what I want."

"Indeed. And why should I give _that_ to you? I have no regrets in my life; when death comes, I want it to be over. Those who continue their existence beyond natural means by inhabiting other vessels are...pathetic."

The woman, Handerson, fell silent for a long moment. Fisher Tiger snorted and shifted painfully.

"Nothing to say to that? Tell me, how is your kin Wadatsumi?"

Handerson drew back her hand as if to strike him before pausing and lowering her arm moments later.

"Hmph."

"I see...I did not call you here to antagonize you, Handerson. Far from it. I wish for you to continue your work. I...do not believe Jimbei will go to the lengths required."

"If the circumstances were normal, then I would, however..." she crossed her arms and turned her head to the side, looking at something on the far side of the room. "I am waiting."

"Are you? I see. Was Lotus that important?"

Handerson gave an unattractive grunt and said, "This body can make no more children. That damn girl was absolutely useless. The only thing she was good for was breeding, and she couldn't even do that without causing me no end of trouble."

"...Then, what are you waiting for?"

"Hohoho. Wouldn't you like to know? Now, I hope you didn't expect me to come all this way to see you out of the goodness of my heart?"

Silence stretched for a long moment, and Arlong found himself holding his breath.

"You will take it no matter what I say," rumbled Fisher Tiger. "When you finally die, I can only hope you will get what you deserve."

"Oh sweetie, like I haven't heard that before." And she plunged her hand into his chest. Arlong froze in shock, unable to move even as her hand fished around in Tiger's still breathing torso. Handerson then smiled and slowly removed her hand, covered in blood and who knows what else. Arlong couldn't see what she held, not from his viewpoint, but Handerson looked pleased.

Fisher Tiger, somehow, was still alive, body spasming from the shock.

"Handerson...complete...your vision..."

"As I said, I'm waiting. Now, I'll be taking my leave. Rejoice, however; as you will be with me."

Arlong turned away from the door and practically staggered down the deck. What did he just see? Fisher Tiger-

As he approached the port bow, Jimbei came into sight, looking off towards the horizon. He heard Arlong's heavy footsteps and raised one thick, curly brow, noticing his unusual disposition.

"Arlong? What is it?"

Before he could answer, the door burst open and Handerson strolled out without a care in the world.

"Oh? So you are finished?" asked Jimbei as she passed. She paused by the railing on the ship, then smiled at him.

"You're going to need a new captain."

"W-What?" Jimbei turned and immediately rushed to Fisher Tiger's cabin. Arlong turned to her and stared at her silently.

"Do you want something?" Handerson idly rolled a red jewel in her still blood-stained fingers.

Arlong carefully weighed his options before speaking.

"I am wondering why you did what you did."

"Oh, I don't have to explain myself. When you are a superior being, you can do whatever you want."

Handerson dove into the sea just as Jimbei's pained filled roar shook the very ship. The entire crew came running, crowding the cabin as Arlong stared into the sea.

'A woman Fisher Tiger trusted to bring about the changes he wanted. A woman who is waiting for something...

...I can use that.'

* * *

Nami

When Nami made the decision to use Krieg's arrival as a distraction to take the Going Merry and its spoils, she did so with the knowledge that it was ultimately the right thing to do. As always, the right thing wasn't necessarily the easiest course to take―she knew that better than anyone. The right thing, after all, got her mother killed and her enslaved to a tyrant for the past eight years. Leaving them behind was a calculated risk on her part, and she was counting on disappearing where the others wouldn't know where to follow. It was better that way, and safer for everyone involved.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to convince herself of that.

Hadn't she made "friends" before? Broken hearts and seduced men before? The parties involved were typically evil, rotten pirates, of course (as if that made it any easier or better, but the years had brought on a certain sort of callousness). It was an old game that she had played flawlessly for years. Yet, she had also never had so much fun before, nor felt had she felt such warmth, not since Bellemere. It didn't help that _they_ were different.

Baratie was now well out of sight, and Nami found herself worrying. Would they be okay? She had faith in their ridiculous strength, and admittedly felt a little guilt from leaving them there stranded. At least they had the bounty hunters' ship. It would be worth it, though, someday, it would all be worth it.

Nami landed on the island shortly thereafter, anchoring the ship off the rocky coast west of Kokoyashi. She would stop by Arlong Park first to report in, and then move her treasure to the hiding place in the tangerine grove. It was hard work lowering the gangplank by herself, but she was soon walking onto shore, heading to her captain. She could practically feel the mask settling over her skin. Nami had a part to play, after all―that of the witch (and that was putting it politely). But that was fine. Everything would be worth it in the end.

The walk to the tall pagoda was peaceful; the island was warm and slightly humid as always. Nami adjusted her bag when the strap began to dig into her shoulder. It was weighted down from the maps she had drawn up during her latest escapade. Arlong gave her free reign to travel where she wished, but it was understood that she dare not come back empty handed. The weight on her shoulders grew with every step she took. Arlong may have spoken as if they were friends, but Nami knew―she was only there because she was useful. She made maps, she was going to pay him a ridiculous amount of money once she collected enough.

She was so tired. No rest for the weary, unfortunately.

'How are they?' Nami wondered as she drew ever closer to the gate. 'How angry must they be? If I ever saw them again, would they ever forgive me? But they wouldn't be able to help me. This is something that I must do myself.'

Angry screaming drew Nami's attention to the ornate gate that protected the compound. It was a little boy, probably ten at the most, and he was holding a short sword and screaming bloody murder for Arlong's life. Nami could feel her lip started to curl at the sight of him.

'That little fool!' Nami wasn't so heartless that she didn't understand his feelings, but blatantly throwing his life away infuriated her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nami made her voice as cold as possible. The boy wiped his face with an already soaked sleeve, tears and snot pouring down his face.

"Get out of my way!" he screamed.

Nami scoffed and raised an eyebrow.

"Must I repeat myself? What do you think you're doing?" she pushed him back, forcing herself to remain stoic as he tripped over his feet. The boy snarled and pointed the knife at her.

"I'm going to kill him! I'm going to kill Arlong! And―And if you get in my way I'll kill you, too!"

Nami's eyes narrowed before she grasped the pieces of her pole and snapped it together with practiced ease. She swung it in a graceful arc, making sure to pull back her blow, and caught the boy on the hands. Disarmed, he flew back, landing roughly on the ground. Nami could hardly breathe through the lump in her throat and the pressure in her chest, but she continued to rain light blows on the boy, trying to convince the little idiot that he was on a suicide mission if he couldn't even best _her_, and do it in such a way Arlong's crew wouldn't become suspicious.

Damn him, making things more difficult!

After she deemed that enough punishment, she placed a sandaled foot on his chest to make her point all the more clear. The boy wasn't trying to put up a fight at that point, and Nami relaxed. He probably wouldn't do anything stupid now.

"Now that you understand," she said, "why don't you go home? Here, you can even have my money. Take it and leave." Nami dropped a wad of bills by his head and walked up to the gate. With a soft grunt, she pulled open the heavy door and entered the lavish compound.

After years of extortion, Arlong was a very wealthy pirate. His home reflected that, with the large pagoda and other elaborate buildings that made up the area. There was a rather strong shark theme, as if anyone could mistake him for anything else. Her heels made a sharp, clicking noise against the white concrete as she headed straight toward the wide open patio. Arlong was currently lounging in his usual chair (more like throne, Nami thought uncharitably); he grinned and raised an arm in greeting.

"Well, it's been a long time."

Nami's stomach churned, but she forced her expression into a smile.

"You still have a weak security system."

"You think anyone would dare to go against me?" Arlong practically exuded arrogance; the problem was he wasn't all that wrong. Ten years and his hold had only gotten stronger. "How much did you get this time?"

"A pretty good amount. But I feel a bit lonely this time."

Arlong laughed and slapped his knee.

"What a thing to say! Coming from someone who loves to betray people."

"You think so?" Nami answered with a coy smile. Arlong nodded in approval and snapped his webbed fingers.

"Our friend has returned! Let's party!"

As the fishmen cheered and called, Nami could only feel a cold sensation settling into her veins.

It wasn't the same.

* * *

Roronoa Zoro

No matter how hard Zoro tried, he lost consciousness several times during the trip. It was just as well, really, as when he came to there was an odd stinging, pulling sensation on his chest. He couldn't breathe too deeply, and when he placed a hand on his wound, he could feel the various staples and stitches they used to keep his insides...well, inside. It was a crude job, but it would have to do for the time being. Still, Zoro was a little disgusted with himself over his weakness. The fight against Mihawk was hideously one-sided. But, that was fine. It wouldn't be worth it if the strongest swordsman in the world wasn't a hellishly powerful opponent. In fact, Zoro was looking forward to it.

He already had his cry and made his promise to Luffy. It was time to move on.

With a grunt, he pushed himself in a sitting position and leaned his remaining katana against his shoulder. He ignored Johnny's and Usopp's concern as he tapped the scabbard. As he thought, Kuina's sword was of a superior quality and wasn't utterly destroyed like his other two weapons. He would need to get better quality swords as soon as possible. First, however, the captain's orders needed to be carried out.

"How are you feeling, Zoro?" Usopp asked as he took it upon himself to change one of the bandages. Zoro had finally stopped gushing blood, thank goodness. He'd be lucky to have a pint left in him.

"Fine. I don't need that much blood-"

"Liar!" Usopp shouted with exaggerated gestures. It was probably the first time _he_ was ever able to make such a claim.

"More importantly," continued Zoro as if he wasn't still on Death's threshold, "are we close?"

Johnny nodded. "Yeah, Zoro-aniki. It won't be long, now."

"Good."

Zoro settled against the bow of the small boat and went into deep thought. He wasn't too worried about the others left behind at Baratie. Luffy would take care of it, and Hanley was also dependable, if nothing else. Zoro had nothing flattering to say about the womanizing chef, but he was man enough to admit that the other was strong in his own right. Zoro could tell he underwent harsh training and, at the very least, wouldn't get in the way. All that was left was Nami.

Zoro frowned. In his opinion, they were expending far too much energy on someone who could leave them the way she did without even looking back. But captain's orders were just that, orders. He could somewhat understand, though. It would be a pain to find another ship, and all of his weights and supplies were on the Going Merry. He was thinking so deeply that he nearly missed Usopp's trembling whisper.

"Is that it? Arlong Park?"

Zoro turned around and took in the large structure. It sat directly on the coast, with gates protruding out into the water. The large, pagoda like structure towered above everything. Zoro immediately began examining the area. He had to admit, Arlong knew what he was doing. There were two gates surrounding the sea entrance, with the second one being a pair of large, iron doors. Getting in that way wouldn't be easy, especially with the advantage being in the fishmen's favor.

Ah well, it meant nothing to him; challenges were things to be overcome, after all.

Johnny sighed and rubbed his chin.

"We made it. Now, the first thing we must do is find out where Nami-sempai put the ship."

"And then we'll cut her to pieces." Well, perhaps that slipped out.

Usopp and Johnny promptly blew what he said out of proportion.

"Why do we need to do that?"

"Are you crazy? We don't have a clue about anything and you want to kill her?"

Zoro sighed and rolled his shoulders.

"What do we need to know? I'll punish her."

Usopp and Johnny stared at him before looking at each other.

Then they jumped him.

Zoro yelped and cursed as Johnny hauled him towards the mast, while Usopp gathered some rope (where the hell did he pull it from, anyway?) and set about tying him up to the small cabin. The knots were good, Zoro admitted as he tried to pull himself free. If he weren't so weak, they never would have been able to get the best of him.

'Excuses. Still, what the hell do they think they're doing?' he thought angrily. Usopp wiped his brow and sighed in relief.

"There, that should definitely hold you."

The indignity of it all frayed his already short temper, and Zoro was soon thrashing as best he could. Unfortunately, Usopp and Johnny were no longer worried about incurring his ire. Usopp dug into his satchel and pulled out a pair of worn binoculars. He scanned the coastline and surrounding ocean, cheerfully blocking out Zoro's curses and shouts. Zoro snarled and gave one last futile tug before resting. The ropes were too tight and he wasn't that eager to rip his stitches out if he could help it.

"Ah! The Going Merry! She's made anchor over there!" Usopp looked thrilled as Johnny pulled out a map and scanned it.

"Hm...strange. It's anchored close to a Kokoyashi village."

"Kokoyashi? Huh. Well, that doesn't matter. I'm just happy to see the ship."

Zoro made one last shout for freedom.

"Let me go!"

"Oi, oi, stop yelling like that!" Usopp knelt beside him and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "You're not fully recovered, yet. Take it easy! Just leave everything to the Great Usopp! I'll get her back in no time!"

Usopp threw back his head and laughed while Johnny slowly shook his head.

"If he knew about Arlong Park beforehand, he wouldn't be laughing like that," he muttered. But Usopp didn't seem to hear him as he propped a foot against the bow and pointed outward.

"Steer straight ahead! Let's go to the Going Merry!"

"Sure, sure." Johnny didn't bother to comment as he directed the small boat towards the anchored Caravel. He stuck close the coast, trying not to be seen while Usopp was caught up in his own fantasy. Zoro had to wonder what went through his head, sometimes.

He gave a grunt of annoyance when the rope's fibers dug into and pulled at his stitching, making an already uncomfortable position even more trying. The second he got out of this he was going to make the both of them suffer!

The high cliffs soon gave way to coastline. Zoro could see that the interior of the island was heavily forested, with tall palm trees dotting the landscape. As they drew closer, Usopp puffed his chest out even further.

"With my courage to step on this land, this even will be remembered as 'The Greatest Adventure of Usopp!' Isn't that cool, Johnny?"

"Sure, sure," came the unenthusiastic response, "although I wonder if it counts that the land's already inhabited."

"Nonsense!" Then Usopp froze when something caught his eye on the nearby dock. "What the..."

Even Zoro paused in his struggles when he laid eyes on them. Even though he had never lay eyes on a non-human before, Hanley being an obvious exception, there was no mistaking the race of those guys. The green-greyish scales and fins, the beady eyes...they looked like something he'd put on a dinner plate.

If that dinner wore clothes and was capable of holding a conversation.

"F-Fishmen!" Johnny and Usopp screamed―quite unnecessarily, Zoro thought. They all but dove for the rudder and sail, steering the ship away from the dock and the Going Merry. Zoro's eyes narrowed and he found himself shouting again. Those two were bringing out the absolute worse in him.

"What the hell are you doing now?" He was quickly shushed by his supposed friends.

'Too late for that, now, it's not as if they _didn't_ see the boat sailing right towards them!'

Usopp leaned down into his face and started screaming right back at him.

"Didn't you see those fishmen? They must be with Arlong's crew! I got scared! What's wrong with that?"

Zoro grunted and felt a bead of sweat drip down his temple. He was starting to get slightly dizzy...

"Coward," Zoro bit out, pushing his weakness aside.

Johnny wiped his forehead and chewed on his lip.

"This is bad. Even this area is under Arlong's control...does his territory cover the entire island? What are we gonna do now, Usopp-sempai?"

"Hm," Usopp rubbed his chin, "I guess this means we simply can't bring Nami back."

Typical.

"Just untie me!" Zoro snapped.

Usopp's reply was cut off by a deep, gurgling voice shouting from behind the boat.

"Whose ship is that?"

Johnny and Usopp grew pale, while Zoro strained his neck in a futile effort to peer behind him.

"Damn, damn, they're swimming out here!" hissed Johnny.

Usopp was already diving from the port bow.

"Let's get out of here."

"I agree." Johnny dove into the sea right after him. Zoro was nearly spitting in disgust. They left him! They completely abandoned him, half dead and tied up like a rack of meat.

"At least untie me before you go!" he howled. He thumped his head on the cabin behind him as fishmen drew closer. Shit, at least he could console himself with the thought that he would be avenged.

"Stop the ship!" the tallest one ordered as he clambered on board.

"There's only one guy aboard?" asked the squat one.

Zoro could feel the vein in his forehead throb as the one with the horrendous underbite leaned close. Zoro's nose wrinkled as the smell of fish on his breath became nearly overpowering.

"You must've been abandoned, eh?..."

"Yeah..." Zoro couldn't say more than that.

"Oh, injured, too!"

"Let's take him back to Arlong-san!"

'I'll kill those two. I'll come back from the dead and avenge _myself_, dammit!'

The three fish men chuckled darkly and directed the ship back the way they came. The one with the underbite stood and rolled his shoulders.

"Hey, I'm going to check out the area. Might be more human scum nearby." The other two nodded and waved him off as he dove overboard with surprising grace. Zoro may be furious with them, but he hoped neither Johnny nor Usopp ran into that guy. He turned back to his new captors and tried to force the tension from his body. For now, he was going to have to tread carefully. He didn't know much at all about Arlong's stronghold. While he certainly wasn't going to let a little thing as near-evisceration stop him, Zoro wasn't sure he appreciated going in completely blind. There didn't seem to be a lot of activity earlier, but he knew better than to take that observation at face value.

"Still..." Zoro murmured thoughtfully as the fishmen called for the gates to be opened. "I can tell this is gonna be exciting."

Zoro knew all too well that life could be drastically unfair and cruel―he also knew it could be both of those things at once. So when he was thrown onto the concrete at some fishman's feet with no care to his barely intact organs he honestly wasn't surprised. It certainly wasn't worth getting upset over; he considered himself lucky that they didn't snap his neck on the spot and toss his corpse into the ocean.

He didn't even get upset at the jeering and snickers from his captors―didn't even flinch when they joked about stringing him up by his neck and using him as a pinata. Arlong's smug grin and arrogance started rubbing him the wrong way, but Zoro figured he was keeping his temper admirably. However, after five minutes of continuous questioning he was nearly ready to say "fuck it" and test his luck with beating them to death with his feet.

Ten minutes into the interrogation and they were going around in circles with no end in sight. His molars were surely cracked from caging his rage, and when two more veins starting pulsating from the stress he honestly began worrying about his blood pressure. It would be pathetic to survive near-disembowelment only to succumb to an anger-induced stroke.

"For the last time, you bastard fish freaks: I am looking for a _woman_." Was he speaking gibberish? Had the pain caused him hallucinate? That was the only reason Zoro could imagine why Arlong was dragging it out as long as he was.

Or, more likely, Arlong was a sadistic bastard who was clearly enjoying looking down his nose at him. Either way, Zoro found himself getting really pissed off.

"Ho!...An inferior human dares to speak to me in such a way? I'll let it slide just this once, considering what you are, but if you speak to me again in that way I'll kill you!" Arlong went back to his chair and leaned back into the seat with a sigh. "I'll tell you the truth of this world. There are the superior, and the inferior. It is in the nature of things to fall into either one or the other. You, human, are inferior. While you struggle and scrounge an existence on land like bugs, we fishmen are capable of so much more."

"Really," Zoro bit out, more of a statement than anything.

"Our greater strength is proof of that. To go against us is to go against nature, against even God!"

'...There are no words,' Zoro thought, unsure of how to even react to such insanity. His attention was then drawn to the sound of heels clicking on pavement, and Zoro turned his gaze over Arlong's shoulder.

"I'm getting sick of hearing that speech, Arlong." Nami looked no worse for the wear, definitely not a prisoner. Zoro stiffened and started to speak her name, but ended up cutting himself off from shock.

Zoro expected tracking her down to retrieve their stolen goods; he certainly didn't expect her to be in the company of anti-human fishmen pirates as one of their crewmembers. With all of her talk about how she hated pirates (and there was no faking the hatred in her features, no one was that good of an actor, even _her_), Zoro had been sure she had simply attached to them for practical purposes until she saw her chance to escape with the goods.

Arlong waved his hand as if to sweep her complaint aside.

"Don't get upset! Of course you're an exception, Nami. You are a skilled navigator of my crew, after all."

"Hmph."

Zoro could feel another vein pop into existence on his forehead.

"Navigator, huh? Hey, Nami, why are you so friendly with these guys?" It was pretty much a rhetorical question, but he had to say _something_.

"What? Do you know each other?" asked Arlong lazily.

"Don't be silly. He's just one of my victims." Nami gave a wan smile and strolled up to him. "This time, I've made off with a lot treasure from him."

Zoro's eyes narrowed as she knelt in front of him, still smiling that fake smile. What was her game? Still, Luffy wanted her back, so he'd have to figure something out.

"I thought you'd try to follow me, but I never thought that you could actually get here," Nami continued, tilting her head to the side as if she was studying him.

Zoro's expression darkened. "So this is the real you?"

"Yes. Surprised? I am one of Arlong's crew. I was a pirate from the start."

Before Zoro could reply, Arlong began laughing, even going so far as to slap his knee.

"One of victims, eh? Let me tell you something! This woman will do anything for money―even forget the death of her own mother!"

Zoro nearly missed it since he was focused on trying to set Arlong on fire through the sheer power of his gaze, but something in Nami's face caused his eyes to snap back to her. Her eyes had widened and her eyebrows creased while her lips trembled. It was a blink-and-miss-it sort of change, and for a moment Zoro wasn't even sure of what he happened to see. Arlong kept speaking; however, Zoro ran the expression over and over in his mind until he finally hit on why it bothered him so much.

Nami was far more affected by her mother's death than Arlong liked to believe. No one looked like that unless they were in a great deal of pain. Which meant...

Zoro rolled his shoulders in an attempt to get his muscles to relax.

"Oh? Is that so? Actually, I never trusted her from the start. I don't really care enough about her to feel much for her, even if she is a cutthroat." Zoro kept his eyes on her as he spoke, trying to gauge her reaction. "I knew it all along, you never were the good person you claimed to be."

Nami didn't give him much, though, as she merely quirked an eyebrow.

"That's good. So, you know you've been tricked. Then, there is nothing left between us now. You'd better get out of my sight soon...you're starting to irritate me."

Since that went nowhere, Zoro decided to up the ante. If one way didn't work, go to the extreme and hope for results.

Even though he was sitting with his hands behind his back and his ankles tied, he had enough lower body strength to propel him backwards into the water.

'This had better work!...'

He hit the water and sank immediately. He wouldn't even be able to float, much less swim with any sort of success.

Honestly, the things he did.

If his hunch was correct, then there was a great deal more to Nami than he thought. Of course, he was as good as dead if he was wrong, but that didn't cross his mind until it really hit home that he'd die a painful death if she was as cold-hearted as Arlong thought she was. Luckily, Nami saw fit to dive in after him (although she could have been a little quicker about it). She grasped him by the shoulders and started lugging him up towards the surface. Zoro supposed he ought to be thankful that she had the upper body strength to haul him out of the water as well (something else he hadn't thought of, but he was saved anyway so it didn't matter at that point).

"What," Nami panted, "are you trying to do."

Zoro coughed, feeling smug.

"What are you trying to do?" he answered.

"_What_?" came the hissed reply. Nami stood there, glaring furiously at him. Zoro noted her shaking fists and nodded more certainly.

"So, you don't have the guts, huh? You can't even let one human die in front of you."

Her brief flinch and look of surprise only drove the fact home.

"You'd better work on being quicker next time, idiot! I almost drowned-"

Zoro was cut off by Nami kicking him in the back, sending sparks of pain shooting through his body. Damn, he hadn't expected her to go violent on him.

"Stop mocking me! Get involved with me next time and you die!"

"Oh, yeah?" Zoro made it clear just how convinced he was of that. Nami pulled him up by the throat until he was mostly crouching and looked him over.

"You have a lot of bandages on you."

Zoro was a little thrown by the non-sequitur, but smirked in response.

"I just can't find my shirt...that's all." The next moment his breath was stolen by a surprisingly good punch to the gut, right over the worst of his wound.

'Shit! Shit! Shitshitshitshit_shit_-' Zoro could only spend the next painfully long seconds trying to collect his breath and writhe pathetically on the ground. On second thought, he was going to _kill_ that witch and tell Luffy it was an accident! He managed to collect his wits long enough to hear Nami speaking to Arlong.

"Just leave him there. I'll take care of him later."

'Not if I get you first you-'

"Arlong-san! Arlong-san!" A vaguely familiar voice cut through the brief period of silence. Zoro tilted his head to the side, forcing himself to focus through the splitting headache.

"What is it?" Arlong asked.

"We let the guy with the long nose get away from us!"

'Usopp? Dammit, they know he's here!'

As angry as Zoro was, he knew he had to figure out a way to get free and find him. Nothing against Usopp, but Zoro really doubted his ability to handle the lot of them.

Zoro cursed softly and struggled with his ropes. He didn't have the luxury to just lie there uselessly! It was truly amazing how things could go so wrong so fast.

Arlong bared his fangs in an odd, predatory smile. "Hm. Maybe he escaped to Kokoyashi Village. Fortunately, it just so happens that I have some matters to take care of in that village as well."

He hefted himself to his feet and cracked the knuckles of his hands.

"Heh, shall we go?"

Zoro could only watch as Arlong and a good portion of his forces gathered to leave for Kokoyashi. Was there anything he could do? One of the fishmen walked up to him and dragged him painfully to his feet by his hair. His wound was now throbbing in time with his heartbeat.

"What should we do with this guy?"

"Toss him in one of the storerooms, no windows in there and he can't make trouble."

"Gotcha."

At that point, Zoro lost track of Nami, too concerned with trying to prevent his hair being ripped out by the roots. He was dragged deeper into the compound, and if he were the type the entire experience would have been beyond humiliating. The fishman opened a plain, metal door and tossed Zoro, still bound, inside. Before Zoro could even regain his sense of balance the door slammed behind him. Zoro grunted as he landed on his side and after several pain-filled seconds he managed to roll into a sitting position.

"Damn," he muttered as he tugged futilely at his wrists, "dammit! Usopp..."

He couldn't sit there, not with Usopp out there and Luffy's orders still unfulfilled. He should probably thank his lucky stars Hanley didn't see him. She'd do something weird like coo and pet his head or some such nonsense.

Zoro didn't know how long he sat there in the storeroom, head throbbing and completely helpless. He had long given up trying to think of a plan. When the door creaked open, Zoro's head snapped up and he stared in shock.

"Nami..."

Nami didn't respond, only walking toward him with a short knife clutched in her hand. Just when he thought she really was going to off him, she sliced through his bonds and dropped Kuina's katana at his feet.

"Leave while you can." Nami checked the hallway to make sure no one was going to drop in unexpectedly. "There's nothing for you here, so escape."

"Oi, Nami, wait-"

"That's all I have to say."

Zoro sighed in aggravation when she turned on her heel and left as abruptly as she came. He spent the next minute rubbing his arms and legs, trying to bring back the circulation. That taken care of, he hefted his katana and exited the room. It didn't even cross his mind to use stealth, preferring his usual straightforward method. He had some payback to dole out anyway.

The first fishman didn't even see him coming. Zoro didn't bother unsheathing his blade, merely bashing him over the head with the hilt and dropping him on the spot. However, he managed to cry out before being knocked unconscious, drawing the attention of every fishman still in the vicinity.

Zoro rolled his shoulders and smirked.

"Oh well, I need the warm-up."

* * *

Krut Hanley

"Arlong Park?" Hanley lazily opened an eye and focused on Yosaku. "That's where we're headed? It sounds like a festival ground."

The group had only recently left Baratie, traveling north and west according to Yosaku's coordinates. He turned out to be a pretty decent navigator, surprisingly enough, and with the fair weather they were making good time. Still, Hanley worried that she was going to slow them down―after ten pitchers of water and a good meal, she still felt sore, tired, and her bones creaked ominously every time she moved. While her fight with Krieg wasn't something she would usually define as a total success, she was alive while he...wasn't. And if she tried hard enough, she could almost convince herself that he was an evil bastard who deserved the painful death by rare poison. He'd wanted to gas them all so badly, the karmic death was more than fitting. She wasn't bothered at all, really. And on the off chance that she was a little bothered, she'd just have to deal. She decided to become a pirate, didn't she? Sooner or later, someone was going to get killed by something she did, either directly or indirectly. So she'll stop thinking about Krieg's foaming mouth and purpling veins and twisted, pain-filled face and focus on more important things.

Now if only she didn't feel like an old lady with a nasty case of osteoporosis.

The first hour of the trip passed by pretty quickly, but as they drew closer to their destination, Yosaku began showing signs of nervousness. Apparently, Arlong Park and its namesake were no joke, being the headquarters of a particularly fierce group of fishmen. They were cruel, powerful, and probably ate babies in front of their mothers from the way Yosaku went on. Hanley didn't have much of an opinion one way or the other as she wasn't really paying attention, to be honest. She had dozed through the first part and was too busy trying to adjust her position without breaking a hip to listen during the second. It was all a moot point anyway: if they wanted to get Nami back, they simply _had _to go. The entire island could be crawling with terrifying men-fish hybrids and Luffy would still dive in head first―which meant she would dive right in with him.

She had enough information, however, to stir up a half-forgotten memory from when she and Nami first met. Nami had assumed she was with Arlong, that Arlong had sent her along to keep tabs on her. Hanley had forgotten it until now, in the face of the rapid change of events that were occurring one after the other, but now she could see that day and that moment clearly.

'So...was Nami with him all this time? She must be a part of his crew, but...something's still not quite right about that. The way she spoke about him...' You didn't speak about your captain that way, with narrowed eyes and a flat tone of voice... not if you liked them. Hanley could only wonder. She could be wrong; did she know anything about Nami?

With a small grunt, she hefted herself into a sitting position, tuning out the others' antics for the time being to focus on the horizon. When this was all over, she was definitely kicking Nami's ass. And if she thought she could manage it, she'd take her foot to Arlong's mouth just to make a point (although, considering that the mere thought of lifting her leg that high made her hip ache, it probably wouldn't amount to more than wishful thinking).

Sanji let out a puff of smoke before standing.

"Well, enough of that. Who wants to eat?"

"Me! Me!" Luffy cheered, tossing his sketchbook off to the side. Hanley briefly wondered where on earth he could have gotten it from, but decided that was one mystery that wasn't worth the headache.

"Tche, I would much rather be cooking for Nami-san and Hanley-san." Sanji gave a dramatic sigh and turned a blinding smile Hanley's way.

"As long as it's seafood, I'm good," Hanley replied. "If you're cooking, it can't go wrong, right?"

After five minutes of Sanji swooning over her "undeserving kindness," Yosaku and Luffy finally managed to punt him into the kitchen to start lunch.

"I'm so hungry..." moaned Luffy as he collapsed by Hanley's side. "It's been so long, Hanley...you okay?"

Hanley was admittedly a little charmed by the concern―Luffy didn't particularly notice the subtle things.

"Although, sometimes I wonder if I'm wrong about that..."

"Huh?"

Hanley shook her head. "Nothing, Hanuman. And I'm fine. I'm not quite on death's door anymore, you know."

"You wouldn't have died." He sounded so sure that Hanley couldn't quite decide if it was denial or pure faith. She ran a hand through his hair and nodded.

"Right. I won't die, and neither will you. You know, I've decided something? I think it's about time I took this pirate thing seriously. I'll become the best damned female pirate the world has ever known."

Yosaku gave a small laugh, although it was far from mocking, and sounded more along the lines of disbelief.

"Pirate King, All Blue...this crew is one with big dreams."

"Well if you're going to dream, do it big. Besides, Hanuman might get bored if he's all alone at the top," Hanley said.

Luffy crossed his arms and nodded as if she spoke complete sense.

"Of course! Since I'm going to become Pirate King and you're my-"

"Lunch is served! Hanley-san, please stay where you are, I shall serve you." Sanji kicked open the door, letting out various mouth-watering smells. Even though it hadn't been that long since her last meal, Hanley's stomach positively grumbled.

"The return of the Gallant Chef," muttered Yosaku.

"Ha! I've never left."

"Oi! Where's the roast beef?" Luffy complained loudly. Sanji quickly dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

"You'll eat what I cook and you'll like it. Besides, I was more focused on Hanley-san's meal! She must regain her strength."

'It's still weird, but a girl could definitely get used to this.'

Yosaku was fortunate enough to get his order of red bean paste, and while it wasn't the same meat, Luffy was perfectly content with the baked chicken Sanji set down instead. It was very clear, however, that most of the work went into Hanley's meal, if only for presentation alone.

'What the hell? He even put a garnish on it!'

"Itadakimasu!" they cried as dug into their meal.

Yosaku sighed happily. "You know, even though we're heading towards hell, I can almost forget with this delicious meal."

"Is Arlong really that bad-" Hanley began.

"Weren't you listening?"

"...No?" Hanley felt a little guilty when Yosaku sagged in despair.

"You people..."

Hanley gave a grunt. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"Sorry, Aneki." Yosaku looked a little sheepish.

"Well, it's better than mistress."

"What? Anyway, we have to be very, very careful! I don't hold much hope for it, but we must do our best to avoid Arlong!"

Luffy idly dug a pinky into his ear.

"I thought you were done with that boring stuff. I'll just beat him up."

"He says it so bluntly..."

"Would you care for more shrimp?" Sanji whipped a platter out of nowhere, "I remembered that you like garlic, so I seasoned it with just a dash of-"

"I don't want to interrupt, but don't you guys hear something?" Hanley shifted so she was facing west and looked out over the sea. She had felt odd, choppy vibrations under her feet for a while, but she dismissed that as the movement of the boat. She wasn't so sure, now, as they were increasing in size and if she concentrated...

"I don't hear anything," Luffy answered, unconcerned. Hanley frowned, perplexed, and scratched the back of her neck.

"I...is it just me?"

"What's it sound like?"

"Um, like a whoomp." Hanley paused and nodded. "Yeah, like a whoomping sound, and it's getting really close-"

"Huh, Hanley's weird again."

"Who the hell is-!" Whatever she was going to say was lost when an absolutely gigantic shape seemed to explode from the water. They gaped as it towered over their small vessel, blocking the sun and casting a long shadow over the water.

Yosaku was the first to speak.

"So... ...a whoomp?"

"Y-Yeah, um, is that a fucking _cow_?"

"Why is a monster like this appearing in East Blue? That's unbelievable! It must be from Grand Line!"

Hanley didn't put much stock into visual puns, but she wasn't sure whether she should start laughing or panicking at the very literal sea cow looming over them like an odd omen of death. It was several stories high, not even counting what was hidden below the water. It was light green with dark green spots in a pattern much like a dairy cow's, with a pair of sharp bull's horns and a ridged fin on it's back that reminded her of a swordfish. Instead of legs it had a pair of fins, and its underside was composed of tan scales in contrast to the thick green fur. It gave an odd snorting nose, its wide eyes (oddly reminiscent of Luffy's, cementing them forever in Hanley's mind as calf-eyes) staring intensely at the food on the table. _Were_ sea cows carnivorous? It didn't look very interested in sinking their boat and tearing them apart. Maybe there was nothing to worry about?

The sea cow inhaled deeply and leaned closer. Hanley made a face as water dripped down from its golden nose ring onto her plate. So much for lunch, she certainly wasn't going to eat it now.

"What a big cow." Luffy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I wonder, is it tasty?"

Hanley coughed. "You would think that, Hanuman."

Hanley cringed when it pressed even closer, all but drooling over her. It was definitely eyeing their food, if her years of experience with calf-eyes taught her anything.

"I―I think it likes you, Aneki. Give it some food before it sinks the ship." Yosaku's voice was little more than a whisper, as if he was afraid that anything more forceful would bring the sea cow's wrath down on their heads. Hanley had to admit to one thing: her grandfather certainly wasn't joking when he said she would experience new things out in the world.

"Oh? Well it does look hungry. He could even be sick, unable to get food for himself," Sanji said as he strolled up beside her. He took a drag of his cigarette. "However..." Sanji suddenly jumped up and sent it flying with a powerful kick.

"DIE! How dare you try to take Hanley-san's meal? Go to hell!"

Yosaku cheered. "It's the Gallant Chef!"

"As I said, I never left."

"I'm flattered, but..." Hanley sighed when the sea cow burst from the ocean once more, now decidedly angry. It bared its fangs and roared. Hanley clicked her tongue and looked down at her plate that was covered with drool and, disgustingly, snot.

"I really wasn't going to eat it, you know." Hanley's words fell on death ears as Luffy's Gomu Gomu no Pistol sent the cow right back into the sea.

"Don't mess with my food!"

"Are you guys even listening to me-"

Yosaku screamed, "It's coming back!"

"Wow, what a tough bastard! I'll finish him."

"No, I'll handle it." Sanji jumped onto the cabin and propelled himself from the ledge. "Uppercut Kick!"

Hanley swore she could feel the impact as his foot connected to the sea cow's throat. Blood sprayed from its mouth (fortunately not on her) and it flew back into the water. When it didn't move, Sanji idly shook his lower leg and exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Damn thing; how dare it ruin Hanley-san's meal on top of that?"

Luffy plopped down at the table and pumped his fists. "Let's continue eating!"

"You can have my lunch, Hanley-san. I insist."

She gave him a weak smile and tossed what was left of her shrimp overboard.

"You guys better not get me killed."

"Such dangerous people..." Yosaku muttered.

"Get us more tea, Yosaku!" ordered Luffy in between shoveling food down his gullet.

"Yes, sir."

Huffing in amusement, Hanley carefully waved off Sanji's offers for giving her his food, or, at the very least, cooking her up another dish. She wasn't all that hungry anymore.

"Such a monster. He must be with Arlong. That's the only way something like that could have gotten all the way into this area." Yosaku nodded toward the sea cow, which was still unconscious. Hanley couldn't help but feel a little bad for it; after all, it was just...being a sea cow.

"I'm going to check on it," Hanley announced.

"Okay." Luffy shrugged.

"A-Aneki!" cried Yosaku in shock as she slipped in the water.

'I'll just see if it's still alive. Maybe I'll toss it a fish―Sanji would let me have one or two.'

It was currently floating on its belly, and she could already see various lumps beginning to form on its head. Hanley grabbed the loose flesh around its snout and hoisted herself onto its nose.

"You alive, big guy?" At the sound of her voice it began stirring, its eyes slowly opening and losing their dazed look. It spotted her on its snout and began trembling. The sea cow sounded so pathetic she actually felt guilty, even though she hadn't done anything to it.

"Hey, um, it's alright." Hanley gave it a few awkward pats, not quite sure how to go about soothing gigantic sea monsters. The sea cow sniffled and gazed at her with watery calf-eyes.

She didn't want to admit it, but Hanley absolutely melted. The calf-eyes would get her every time.

'Oh, he looks just like Hanuman when he's hungry...'

"Don't mind those guys," Hanley continued, "they can't help but be violent. I mean, sure you're big and all, but you're actually quite cute."

Now the cow was cooing at her, turning the situation from "awkward" to downright "uncomfortable".

"Uh, and, anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Hanley-san's gentleness is so moving!" Sanji all but sang from the boat.

Hanley scratched her head.

"And Sanji-kun's bipolar personality is as odd as ever..."

Luffy leaned back in his chair, full from his meal. He grinned happily.

"Oh! Are we adopting him?"

"He really seems to like you, Aneki." Yosaku pointed out.

"Um..." Hanley stalled, mind scrambling for something to say. She didn't need or want a sea monster for a pet; however, she honestly didn't want to hurt the thing's feelings.

She also couldn't keep referring to it as "sea cow".

"...Luffy."

"Huh?" Luffy looked confused when she said his given name.

"No, no. That's his name! He's Monkey D. Luffy Junior."

Yosaku burst out into a fit of laughter.

"I see the resemblance!"

"The expressions are quite similar," noted Sanji. The fact he would rather break both of his legs than laugh at a woman was probably the only reason he looked as calm as he did.

Luffy grumbled.

"Luffy's a good name!"

"It's the best I could do, sorry, Hanuman!" Hanley gave Junior another pat.

"Hanley never sounds sorry. Oh well!" Luffy's mood, as usual, bounced back with its usual tenacity. "We should go! The others are pretty close, now!"

Hanley nodded. He was right―lunch was nice, but it was time to get moving. Junior mooed softly and carefully turned to deposit her on deck.

Yosaku rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I have an idea. Do you think you could get Luffy Junior to tow us? He should get us there much faster."

Sanji looked amused.

"Are we sure it's a boy-"

"It's definitely a boy!" Luffy retorted.

"Heh. Well, that's not a bad idea. I have some rope. Help me out, Luffy. Yosaku, hoist the sail."

"Aye, aye!" answered the bounty hunter as he headed towards the mast.

Hanley turned to Luffy Junior and smiled.

"Well, do you mind?"

Luffy Junior shook his head, although not before narrowing his eyes at the other men on board. It gave Hanley a bad feeling, to be sure. However, there wasn't anything more she could really do about it, and honestly, she'd have been surprised if he _wasn't_ angry at them.

"I'll ride up front with you, how's that?"

Luffy Junior seemed more than pleased; so much so it allowed Sanji and Luffy to tether his horns to the prow with no fuss.

Hanley hopped onto his back and made her way to the top of his head. She held up a hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight.

"Let's go, Luffy. Take us to Arlong Park!"

Luffy Junior mooed and surged forward. The others shouted as the boat lurched none too gently under their feet.

"Damn cow! You did that on purpose!" Sanji snapped as he started cleaning up the dishes.

"Yahoo! Here we come!" Luffy leaned over the side of the craft, smiling wildly.

Hanley crouched low until she lay on her stomach. The wind was stronger up here than she thought, and she didn't want to get blown off in her condition. She was sore enough as it was. Luffy Junior practically sliced through the water despite his bulk; she wouldn't have been surprised if he was moving as fast as she usually did while swimming . After several minutes, Hanley contented herself with scratching Luffy Junior's head. It couldn't have been much, but the sea cow cooed happily regardless.

"See, Hanuman? You get more flies with honey than vinegar!" she called back, pleased with herself. If nothing else, this would definitely cut down on travel time.

Luffy stared blankly at her.

"Who wants vinegar anyway?"

"Nevermind! And I was thinking: what are we gonna do about Nami?"

"What d'you mean? She's my navigator, of course!"

"Well, _yeah_, but she stole our ship! It had all of our stuff on it! If I don't get Master Thai's Ojizou-sama and scroll, don't be surprised if I kick her ass! And my ring was also in my bag! You should take some responsibility!"

"Oh, that's right! Don't mind, Hanley! We'll get everything back!"

"Mm..." Hanley turned back around and propped her head on a fist. "Still...that ring has sentimental value...no matter the weird circumstances that I got it. I don't want another one if it's only going to be a replacement..."

"I understand."

Hanley blinked in surprise. She started to turn around, but it would have been too much effort from her current position (and it made her back twinge unpleasantly).

"You do?"

"Well, I wouldn't want another hat, would I?"

Hanley smiled.

"No, I suspect you wouldn't."

"It wouldn't be a replacement because we'll definitely get everything back; Nami, too."

Hanley ran her fingers across the smooth surface of her magatama.

"Whenever you sound like that, I have no choice but to believe you..." she snickered. "Oh, Hanuman can be so cute when he's trying to be charming!"

"Oi, oi..." Luffy didn't sound very impressed, and simply imagining the look on his face was enough to make her chuckle.

"Or is it still unmanly to be _adowable_?"

"It's always unmanly to be adorable!"

Hanley heard a thud, then Sanji's angry exclamation.

"Shut it, idiot! Be thankful when a woman compliments you in such a way! Hanley-san, what about me?"

Hanley smiled even more widely.

"You're very suave, Sanji-kun."

"There he goes again," sighed Yosaku as he watched Sanji swoon.

They fell into a comfortable silence, and although it was still wet, Luffy Junior's fur was soft and comfortable. Hanley, much to her surprise, found herself dozing off and on. The third time she closed her eyes for a brief moment, she was startled soon after by excited shouts.

"I see it! It's that building! Arlong Park!" Luffy bounced on the deck, one hand keeping a firm grip on his straw hat.

Sanji smirked and gave Luffy Junior a look.

"'Junior' must be pretty tired by now. Looks like my kicks are still effective."

"They were very strong, Sanji-san!" Yosaku complimented.

Sanji did have a point―Luffy Junior was huffing by this point, tired from the beating he received and towing them for who knows how many leagues.

Hanley frowned in concern.

"Hey, you can slow down now, Junior, we're nearly there-"

"O-Oi! Go left! Head toward that building!" Luffy shouted as his namesake continued straight ahead. Hanley gripped a horn in panic. They were heading right toward the cliffs that jutted out of the island's south side. Junior only seemed to pick up speed as he approached.

"Junior, what are you doing?" Was he still intimidated? But he seemed fine during the trip. "If you don't stop, we'll-!"

Hanley yelped and clung as hard as she could.

"We're gonna crash!"

At the last moment, Luffy Junior twisted his body and hit the cliff with his side. Hanley stared as Sanji's striped vessel flew up and over their heads and onto the island itself. She could hear them screaming and the loud crash as they landed in the forest. The sound of the boat plowing through the trees and undergrowth seemed to stretch impossibly long until it faded into the distance. Luffy Junior let out a triumphant moo and snorted. Hanley was still staring up at the cliffs where the others disappeared, her grip slowly loosening until she all but collapsed.

"You...you totally did that on purpose."

Luffy Junior rumbled and began to leisurely make his way around the rocky coast, heading westward towards Arlong Park. Hanley licked her lips and tried to remain calm.

"You are in big trouble, young man."

"Moo."

"I'm going to ground you."

"Mrr."

"No dessert, either. That works well with Luffy Senior."

She knew she was babbling at that point.

"You're going to let me off, aren't you?"

Luffy Junior shook his head, causing Hanley to sigh. The best laid plans...

"I need to attract normal males. Hell, I'll take 'em humanoid at this point―hey, what's that? That's a marine battleship!"

The modified gunship wasn't all that large, certainly not galleon size, but it looked like it could pack a definite punch with the cannons packed onto its gun deck. It had the ugly Marine motif of stylized stripes on its hull, and there was a large 77 painted on its mizzenmast. Luffy Junior actually came to a stop when the ship fired off a cannonball straight towards Arlong Park.

"Hey, maybe we won't have to do much, after all." Although, considering how worthless the Marines have been up until now, she wasn't going to hold her breath over it. Indeed, when the cannonball didn't even go off, Hanley knew something was wrong. An entire minute passed and just Hanley was starting to wonder if anything was going to happen, chaos struck without warning. She could hear the sound of guns firing and screams as the ship went out of control. It rocked and bucked in the water, nearly capsizing at one point as a sudden whirlpool appeared and sucked it into its current.

"What the hell did I just see?" Hanley asked Luffy Junior as the ship and its crew disappeared into the ocean. When nothing came up, Hanley cringed and turned away. "Damn, was that Arlong? Can he control the ocean like that?" For all she knew about fishmen, that could have been the case.

Luffy Junior huffed and resumed his way back home. As they drew closer to the large gates, her magatama was starting to burn furiously at her neck. It wasn't a good sign, to put it lightly.

She tried pleading with the sea cow one more time.

"Hey, come on, you like me, don't you? Why won't you let me-"

"Mohmoo! There you are! Why didn't you come when I called?"

'Damn, too late! Maybe Ace and Luffy had a point about my thinking too much...'

Hanley steeled herself and crawled forward until she got to a better vantage point.

The fishmen were...well. While Sanji went on about the legendary beauty of mermaids, Hanley was half-hoping the fishmen wouldn't be so bad in comparison. And what she saw on the ground below her was...interesting. Hanley knew she shouldn't be so judgmental, seeing as she had scales and apparently poison glands, but they were certainly...

She'll leave it at interesting.

They came in various shapes and sizes―some of them were from recognizable species like the sting ray and the sharks―and they all looked more like tourists than blood thirsty pirates with the hideous brightly colored shirts and shorts. The fishmen were staring back at her just as hard, as the walking (and sweet God, talking) octopus man pointed at her.

"Oh, who's that, Mohmoo? Is that a new friend?"

'This one isn't that bright, is he?'

"I...hello there!..." Hanley trailed off under the stares. She mentally calculated her chances of beating them, or, at the very least, escaping. They weren't looking too good, soreness and the general feeling of weakness aside. There were about twenty, and although the majority didn't look like much, Hanley could tell that the sting ray and the one with the weird lips weren't pushovers. That said nothing, of course, about the shark who seemed to dwarf the rest of them. His distinctive nose was saw-shaped, and if Hanley had to make a guess, she would definitely peg him as the leader.

No, she wasn't getting out of there, not without a miracle.

"Dammit, Luffy Junior, you are definitely grounded," Hanley hissed. It figured Luffy number two would get her into just as much trouble. She should have named him Fido or something.

The sting ray gave a grunt and crossed his arms.

"Such a busy day. We have yet another visitor."

"Aren't you hungry, Mohmoo?" the octopus continued, trying to urge Luffy Junior closer.

Finally, the saw-nosed shark spoke.

"Mohmoo, bring that woman here."

To her surprise, Luffy Junior hesitated, and began mooing in what had to be distress.

'Well, if you're so worried you should have thought it through more carefully! Just _like_ Hanuman, for god's sake!'

"I think he doesn't want to," answered the octopus in a helpful manner. Saw-nose smiled, and Hanley found it to be distinctly unpleasant.

"Mohmoo, are you going to make me ask you again?"

'Well, shit.'

Hanley patted his head. "Let me down. Now." Luffy Junior gave a pronounced shudder and slowly lowered his head until his snout was level with the pier. Hanley took a deep breath and slowly slid onto his nose. She would have to play it smart and think of something.

"Stop it," Hanley murmured to her magatama as she stepped onto the pier, "I know they're dangerous, but there's nothing I can do. Stop burning me." And it stopped, shockingly enough. Hanley didn't have time to ponder on it, however.

"Is she another of Roronoa Zoro's companions?" she heard someone whisper in the back. Hanley twitched. It seemed that Zoro had already made an impression, as unsurprising as that was.

"Who?" Hanley asked with a straight face. She wasn't that above lying.

Sting Ray narrowed his eyes.

"Everyone that has been coming here has been a companion of Roronoa's..."

'Goddammit fishman, why aren't you stupid?'

"Well," Saw-nose smiled again, although it wasn't half as unpleasant this time, "this one is clearly different, and she came with Mohmoo. Although..." He looked her over with a critical eye. "You're not a mermaid. You're too young to have two legs and you lack fins."

Frankly, Hanley had no idea what that meant. In any case, he probably wanted a response, so Hanley held up her hands.

"Well, I'm not a mermaid, true..." So much for that plan, not that she was confident that it would have worked.

"Clearly. You resemble that woman too much for it to be a coincidence."

'Wait, what?'

"Arlong-san..." Sting Ray frowned, still suspicious. She was right, then, he was Arlong. And she didn't need Yosaku's stories to know that he was clearly more powerful than Don Krieg. Hanley could feel it.

"Kuroobi. She is not human, and we are not so uncivilized as to be impolite to a woman."

'Terrific..._gentlemanly_ fishmen hybrids.'

"That's very kind of you, um, Arlong-san. Especially after Luf―Mohmoo all but kidnapped me from my boat." Hanley kept her eyes trained on Arlong's back as he led her deeper inside. Some of the fishmen fell around her, blocking her escape. Something must have happened, her "inhuman-ness" or no, to make them so jumpy.

"Sorry, sorry! That doesn't sound like Mohmoo at all! He must like you," the octopus smiled cheerfully, "I am Hatchan. I take care of him. He's never acted that way before."

'For the love of...Luffy Junior's not a cocker spaniel!'

"Right." Hanley couldn't really say much more than that. "Well, I don't want to be too much of a burden."

"Nonsense! Mohmoo is a crewmember, and as captain I must take responsibility," Arlong said in a grand manner. He gestured to a table made of fine wood with expensive looking upholstered chairs. The pagoda like structure was well furnished, clearly showing Arlong's wealth. Hanley slowly sat on the edge of one of the chairs, making sure to choose one that faced the exit. She barely managed not to jump when Arlong lounged casually in the chair across from hers. Her skin felt prickly, and the fact he looked like a shark really didn't help her nerves. Arlong oozed predator from his pores, and she was still too injured to put up much of a fight if he got the notion that she was an enemy.

Kuroobi, however, remained persistent.

"And Roronoa?"

"He will come to us," Arlong replied in a confident manner. "I will kill him."

"Relax," muttered the fishman with odd, puckered lips, "he will not escape us for long. Arlong-san will make him pay for hurting our comrades."

'Oh Zoro, that sounds just like you...'

Eager to steer the conversation away from Zoro, Hanley decided to bring up something that had bothered her earlier. After all, they'd get suspicious if she kept twitching at the sound of his name.

"Anyway! Arlong-san, I see you have a very impressive...operation going here. But, well, I was hoping you could explain what you meant before?" Hanley moved her arms when one of the fishmen placed a plate in front her and began pouring wine into a goblet. It was a steak, of all things, made well from what she could tell. It was accompanied by buttered mushrooms, and while she wasn't hungry before, it certainly returned with a vengeance. If nothing else, they were gentlemanly, _sophisticated_ murderous fishmen hybrids.

When no candles were being brought out, Hanley was genuinely surprised.

The fishmen didn't hang around, trusting Arlong-san as they went about their duties. Kuroobi was a notable exception, choosing to lean against the far wall.

"You mean the woman?"

"I look like her?"

Arlong tapped the table, considering her question.

"She was a woman I saw years ago when I was with another pirate crew. She spoke with our captain."

Hanley took a sip from her goblet for lack of something else to do.

"Her name?"

"Kadru Handerson."

Hanley promptly choked on her wine. She sputtered and put a hand to her chin to wipe away the mess.

"My grandmother?"

Arlong stared at her before a slow smile crept onto his face.

"Grandmother. That explains it."

'Shit. The woman my grandfather told me to run far, far away from was someone this guy knew...and approved of! Damn, I need to get out of here.'

"I've never met her," Hanley admitted, deciding to stick as close to the truth as possible. Lies were easier that way. "She doesn't seem to be the maternal type."

"I was right then. You're a snake―one of them."

'One of who?'

Hanley decided not to push her luck as she picked up her knife and fork. She didn't think he'd poison her, and she needed to play along for as long as possible.

"Well, it's nice that there seem to be more of me."

'There are more...that...is a little comforting.'

"You are no mermaid, but we are still equals!" Arlong became warmer, as if finally pinning her down made him relax.

"Equals? Then, that implies that there is an inferior."

"Of course! We are of superior races, you and I. Our abilities prove it―we are more than human, better."

The conversation had taken a turn into the fiercely uncomfortable (not that it wasn't already, but bigotry held a special spot in social unpleasantness). Hanley wasn't sure just how caught up she wanted to get into racist rhetoric. Sure, she was playing along, but speaking that way?

She carefully licked her lips to stall for time.

"This is new. I mean, there are some things I can do naturally that-"

Arlong placed his webbed hands on the table.

"Exactly. Humans are brittle, weak. In this world made primarily of seas, they wouldn't be able to survive without their ships! The thought that they run the world is...infuriating."

Hanley could only imagine how angry that made him.

"But they have their uses, I give them that." Arlong paused, waiting for a response.

"Yes," Hanley heard herself say, "humans have their uses."

Arlong, Hanley decided, was creepy. He was a bigot, and as he proudly explained just how he ran his show here on the island, it was clear he was a cruel bigot as well. But he was well-spoken. He was obviously intelligent, sharp-eyed, and judging from the way his men looked at him he was also very charismatic. For all his faults, he had taken control and forged an empire in only a few, short years. And for all his pretty words and large movements there lay the ever present hint of predator. Hanley could not help but imagine Arlong being one step away from taking those immensely powerful teeth and jaws to her throat at the first hint of betrayal. It was creepy, much in the way Don Krieg was creepy: animal-like cruelty with the backed by keen intelligence.

How could Nami work for such a man? Hanley desperately wanted to know how she fit into the scheme of things, but she didn't dare bring her up. She couldn't, not without a damn good reason for her knowing about Nami in the first place. Ultimately, it got her nowhere on that front, and she had to hope Luffy and the others were having better luck than she was. Hanley was also concerned about their whereabouts. Other than what Arlong and his crew said about Zoro, there was no other indication that the others had arrived at all. That lack of knowledge was all but driving her crazy.

An hour had only passed, but she swore that it was five. She had mostly cleaned off the meal and was taking only tiny sips from the wine goblet. Hanley was only beginning to understand the terror the people of the island lived under for years. She could feel it herself: her heart beat was quick and there was an uncomfortable pressure on her shoulders.

Hanley didn't buy into the fishmen superiority bullshit one iota; she was, however, very interested in something Arlong knew.

So she played along. Her stomach clenched unpleasantly but she played along, wide eyes and all, and Hanley guessed it was a good thing that she was still young enough to pull it off. It was also a good thing that Arlong liked hearing the sound of his own voice.

"Tell me more about my grandmother." Not that Hanley particularly cared about her; still, Arlong didn't know that, so he spoke of what he could.

"Shehehe, I do not know much. She only spoke with our captain once. But, there was a superior woman if I saw one. At the time, she was still fairly active."

"Active? Doing what?"

"Chaos. Bringing chaos and fear to the inferior creatures that deserve it." Arlong bared his pointed teeth. "She would attack town after village after settlement, and then nothing for weeks before popping up somewhere else and continuing the cycle. Then, suddenly, it stopped. Months and years passed, but there was no sign. Not surprising, I suppose. For all anyone knew, she did what she wanted wherever she wanted; that was what the World Government despised most. I think there is more to it, however. Perhaps she had a plan, perhaps not; still, she was useful in furthering our cause. "

"Why?"

Arlong's expression became calculating, as if he were weighing something in his mind.

"Handerson was waiting for something...and I believe I have an idea as to what it was. It had something to do with her missing daughter."

"My mother..."

Hanley never really thought about her. She knew she had one, and of course, when she was younger she had wanted to know about her. Her grandparents on Earth could tell her a few things, but nothing definite. And ten years later, Hanley was just coming to realize just how vague they had been. Why? Why make it sound like her mother was their own? But to be fair, they never outright stated that was the case; Hanley had just assumed in the way all children did. She'd probably never find out what they knew. The most unsettling thing, of course, was realizing how little of a coincidence it was that she was blasted into another world.

"Indeed, your mother. So I wonder if she was waiting for you," Arlong confirmed.

Hanley frowned and asked, "Me? Why me?"

"It is only a guess. But she was very upset when your mother disappeared on her. I can only imagine what it was."

"Well, looks like _Grandma_ liked being mysterious. Nothing else?"

"I know one more thing that I am willing to share. Kadru Handerson was, at one time, often seen in the company of a large man. This was about two decades ago. They called him Wadatsumi." Arlong idly waved his hand. Her magatama suddenly burned so fiercely that Hanley all but slapped it away from her skin. At Arlong's look, she coughed and shook her head.

"Nothing. Nothing..."

'Wadatsumi...? That was the patron diety of the shrine back home. Is there a Wadatsumi here, too? But that just leaves the glaring question of who he is...' Well all she had was conjecture, so she remained silent.

Arlong was still reclining casually, but his eyes were sharp and focused. Hanley had the unsettling feeling she wasn't fooling him much, if at all. But he was humoring her because that was what predators did. The notion had no basis in reality even though it made her skin itch.

The food was delicious, as was the wine, but it sat heavily in her stomach.

However, one thing was clear. What she heard so far confirmed what Master Thai said: Handerson was a crazy bitch and Hanley was better off going in the opposite direction. Anyone who pissed off the World Government to that point couldn't be good for her health.

But nothing ever happened, not yet at least, nor did Arlong give any indication that he was planning to do anything but talk. She was, for all intents and purposes, a guest. Not only a guest, but the first decent guest they had in the backwater ocean of East Blue.

"I am thinking that you should stay."

Hanley froze momentarily before becoming even more wary. Unlike the other schmucks she had the misfortune of coming across, this was a different matter.

"I am thinking you are insane to even entertain the notion."

Arlong threw back his head and laughed. Kuroobi watched silently.

"It is a good business opportunity!"

"We just met. I don't know you." And that was fine. "Are you always looking to recruit?"

"Shahahaha! I don't believe in taking my time with things. I decide quickly, efficiently."

Hanley pressed her lips into a thin line.

"This is still sudden. From what I can see, the only things you care about are your cause and your money."

"But I care for my brethren more. You are partially right, though. I am offering to talk business."

Hanley sat back in her seat, perplexed. What was his angle? She decided to take a wild guess.

"It's about my grandmother, isn't it?"

"I never lie―she plays a part. However, you are also a snake."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

'And I can't believe Handerson's fucking me over when we haven't even met!'

"You don't know? There are so few I thought he kept a close eye...no matter. It does not matter much if you know; it matters what you are."

"You call yourself a businessman," Hanley tried a different tack, "what will I be getting out of this?"

"Money. Wealth. And I am well on my way to completing a base of power."

'What the fuck is going on?...' When she got dragged into Arlong Park, she wasn't really expecting getting so much information dumped on her. Handerson, Wadatsumi, and now it seems there was actually something to being a snake. It wasn't a random side effect of getting sent over, but an actual race with actual important people. What then? What should she do?

"Will you answer now? Or will you think about it? I am being very kind." Arlong had the look of someone who always got what he wanted―not shocking, as he had been for years.

"I think..." Hanley bared her teeth in a tight smile. Her fangs weren't as impressive as his, but it was enough to get her point across. "That the only way I'm going to accept is if you start calling me, 'Mistress.'"

"You-!" Kuroobi began, only to stop when Arlong held up a hand.

"Sha, we will get along just fine."

Arlong had left her soon after to conduct some kind of business; it was unspoken that she wasn't going anywhere.

The talk had taken longer than she imagined, and now that she was "free" she didn't know what to do with herself. Kuroobi motioned for two fishmen to tail her and watch for anything odd; Hatchan, however, came over on his own free will.

"Good, good, a new crew member! It's been a while." Hatchan nodded and offered her a fishing pole. Hanley shook her head in refusal and made her way outside. Arlong was currently seated in a large chair, speaking with a few of his crewmen. Hanley bore the looks and made her way to the edge of the deck. Hatchan joined her soon after and sat on the small pier. She scowled briefly at her tunafish guards and turned her attention to, apparently, the only decent fishman present.

"Hatchan, right?"

"Mm? Oh, yes, yes. But you can call me Hachi."

"An octopus named Hachi...that's original."

"Thank you!" He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment while Hanley sighed.

'He also doesn't recognize sarcasm.'

"You're welcome, I guess." Hanley fidgeted and glared out at the water. She did not like being watched as she was. Still, if she were human she probably would've been killed or imprisoned, so maybe she there was something to be thankful for.

Hachi hummed and plopped down on the deck and threw a line in the water.

"Mohmoo missed his earlier meal so I had to eat it. I better get him another one," Hachi turned back to look at her, "is it true? You're a snake?"

"Yes..." she answered slowly. Hanley glanced at Arlong, but he didn't appear to be interested in their conversation.

"I thought so. I didn't think I'd see one out here." Hachi looked pleased.

"Oh? Why not?"

"They keep to themselves, mostly. Used to be a lot more of them, before humans. They used to say you could do all kinds of things with snake bone and oil-"

"Um, that's okay...don't need to know that, thanks."

'Snake bone and oil? God, not like _hunting_, right? How sick!'

But for now, she would continue to bide her time. Knowing those men as she did, it was only a matter of time before they came bursting in. When Luffy said that he wanted to beat someone up, he always followed through, and Zoro had already made a declaration of war.

Why they were taking so long when a few hours had already passed, Hanley didn't know.

And in all her eagerness to find out just what Arlong knew, she was also no closer to figuring out where Nami was or how she fit in. It was so frustrating she could scream; the only bright spot was she was feeling somewhat recovered and could probably put up a fight if required. Probably.

'Still, I wonder where the others are...'

* * *

Arlong

"Why are you disbanding the Sunny Pirates?" Arlong slammed the thick, oak door behind him, trying to keep to some form of discretion in his temper. Jimbei didn't so much as jump, sitting calmly behind his massive captain's desk. He carefully set aside a stack of papers and folded his hands.

"It has been something I've been seriously considering, yes."

"But _why_? Fisher Tiger would be-"

"I understand why you're so upset, my friend. But this is not a decision I make lightly."

"Why does it need to be made at all? The Sunny Pirates are Fisher Tiger's legacy! How dare you, Jimbei?"

When Fisher Tiger died (killed? Arlong could never quite understand what he saw back then with that woman), they spent a good two months at a loss of what to do. They interred his body at Fishman Island, and from there they traveled the seas without a real goal in mind. They attacked anything and everything, having no other outlet for their grief. It was good for business, but they were straying further and further away from Fisher Tiger's vision. Their former captain wouldn't have approved of _mindless_ torment of human trash, and indeed, Jimbei seemed to come into his leadership sometime afterward. For a long time, Arlong had faith that Jimbei would continue Fisher Tiger's legacy. Unfortunately, as time wore on it became apparent that he would not do what was necessary. Three years had passed, and all Jimbei had done was curb the worst of the crew's excesses in their pillaging, which was infuriating in and of itself.

Why show decency to such filth? The entire situation was nearly unbearable.

Arlong crossed his arms and leaned heavily against the door.

"So, that's it? Why dissolve our family now?"

Jimbei took a deep breath and nodded toward an ornate looking scroll.

"I received an offer. I think it would be worth it."

"An offer?"

"I was invited to join the Shichibukai."

Arlong could only stare blankly at him, only now noticing the World Government's official seal on the scroll.

"So," he said, somehow managing to keep his voice level, "it has come to that, then? And what of our honorable captain? What of our brethren?"

"I do this because I care about our brethren. I know what Tiger was trying to accomplish, but I also have my own way of doing things."

"So, you're to become a pet of those-!"

"Hold your tongue, Arlong!" Jimbei slammed his large hand on the desk, causing it to creak ominously. Arlong halted his tirade, worried that he had pushed even the placable Jimbei too far. Silence sat heavily between them before Arlong sighed and shook his head.

"I apologize, that was going too far. But you can understand, can't you, Jimbei?"

"I can." Jimbei heaved himself to his feet and strolled to the large bay window, tucking his hands into the sleeves of his Jimbeii. "I have no love for pirates, as you know; if becoming a Shichibukai helps, then that is what I will do."

"Being at the beck and call of those humans will accomplish nothing!"

"So terrorizing them is better? You know I cannot approve of those methods, Arlong. I warn you, it may not be tomorrow, it may not even be in the near future, but your cruelty will not go unpunished."

Arlong snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Preaching again, Jimbei? I think you would be better suited in a pulpit."

"Hm."

"I might as well say it! You always did enjoy looking down your nose at me, Jimbei, but I am the one with the big ideas! Why shouldn't we teach those scum a lesson? We, who are above them! You may just be content with where you are, but I will not stop."

"So you will not change your ways?"

"Change my ways? You must be joking!"

"There is nothing funny about your disturbing extremism, Arlong. I'm warning you-"

"Well, it's a good thing you will no longer be my captain; otherwise, you would have had to take responsibility."

Jimbei sighed and shook his head.

"As I thought. Still, I had to try."

"How noble of you, Jimbei-kaikyou," Arlong said, sneering. That was it, then. There was no making Jimbei understand. If he was telling Arlong about the offer now, then he had already decided upon becoming Shichibukai. What then of their crew? Many fishmen in the Sunny Pirates were former slaves, and even Fishman Island was no longer home for them.

No, Jimbei may be fine with forsaking Fisher Tiger's ideals, and that Handerson woman hasn't been seen in months. Apparently, she, too, could not be bothered. If that was how it was, then it was up to Arlong now. If he was the only one who cared about the human menace, then he will be the one to end it.

And how dare Jimbei speak to him in such a manner? Was it so wrong to pay those humans back tenfold for their treatment? He only took their lives when they tried to overstep their boundaries; he never branded them or placed them in shackles. He would never stoop to their levels, yet Jimbei scolded him as if he were some pup. If anything, he was showing more mercy then they had ever received at human hands. But what could he expect from those primitives? Perhaps they couldn't even help themselves.

But now he had to plan. They were still in Grand Line, so where should he go? He knew a good portion of the crew felt the same way as he, so he could probably count on them to support him.

Arlong pushed off the cabin door and turned to open it. Jimbei was still standing at the window, unnaturally still―most likely contemplating his navel, Arlong thought uncharitably.

"Then we have nothing more to say to each other. It's a shame; you are someone worthy of the utmost respect. I hope you will come to see the proper point of view."

"The fact that you believe that your point of view is the only proper tells me all that I need to know. I wish you the best of luck, Arlong."

"Shahaha! Don't worry, Jimbei-kaikyou...you will see what I am capable of achieving. I will save the world in my own way."

* * *

Monkey D. Luffy

Luffy had to admit, being a pirate was everything he expected and more. It'd only been about a week and he was having more fun now than he had had in years―even better that Hanley was starting to get into it, no matter what she said. She did that a lot, come to think of it, and why she said one thing and mean another was something he never got. Ace assured him it was a thing girls often did, not that they knew a lot of girls. Hanley was the only one that even spoke to him, except for Makino and Dadan, but they were kind of old (especially Dadan) so maybe that didn't count.

Still, Luffy was very pleased with the progress they made so far (even though they _still_ didn't have a musician). Zoro was great, Usopp was a lot of fun, and Nami was really nice...even if she scared him a little. Not as much as his wife did, but she was a good person. He hoped she wasn't in too much trouble. Why was Nami going after Arlong, anyway? He was worth a lot of money―if she wanted to beat up somebody, she really should have just asked. Yosaku was really worried about Arlong, though, so they'd probably have to get rid of him first. Once they got Nami back from wherever she ran off to, they'd be going to Grand Line in no time. He half wished they could somehow instantly go there right then. Ace was waiting for them, and he'd get irritated if they were too slow.

Although, should he be wondering about this while they were flying who knows where? Hanley got on him about that a lot―and where was she? Luffy rubbed his chin, absentmindedly catching his hat as it flew off his head from the wind whipping by. Sanji was clutching the rail by the port bow, and it was a little off putting hearing Yosaku's high pitched screams. No Hanley, though. They ran into the cliff, and then―oh, right, she was still on Luffy Junior, wasn't she? Man, she was going to be so mad that they got separated again. She worried too much.

Speaking of Hanley, it was too bad she didn't get a chance to fly through the sky on a boat, though. Then again, she did get to ride the sea cow, which was a pretty fair trade off he thought.

Luffy looked down at the trees below, getting pumped up from the flight. He'd have to find some way to do this more often.

"Yahoo! We're flying!" Luffy clung to the bow and waved his straw hat. He couldn't help the fact that they were plummeting to the ground and Hanley was missing, so why not have fun with it? Really, why were Sanji and Yosaku screaming like that? He felt Sanji's foot kick the back of his head.

"This is not funny, moron!" Sanji emphasized his shout with another harmless kick.

"Never said it was! Oh, we're falling into the forest!"

"Idiot! What if we die?" shouted Yosaku. Luffy thought about that for a moment and nodded. That was a pretty good point. It'd be a shame if they landed wrong or something.

"Good thing I'm made out of rubber!"

"I'm getting too old for this!.."

Surprisingly, the boat didn't smash to pieces on the forest floor, but the momentum from the flight sent them crashing through the trees and undergrowth. It was almost as fun as flying, despite the fact a low branch nearly took his head off. The boat was slowing down, but not nearly enough where they could get off. Luffy was starting to entertain the idea of using his arms to bring them to a stop when he noticed someone in the distance. The colorful shirt threw him off, but he quickly connected the green hair with a name.

"Oi! Zoro!"

"Luffy!" There wasn't time for much else; Zoro managed to bring his arms up before the boat slammed into him and slid several more meters before smashing into bits on a large boulder.

The impact was more annoying than painful, and Luffy took a look around the surrounding area as the dust settled. Pieces and chunks of Sanji's boat were scattered everywhere, almost as if it had exploded instead of crashed. Luffy hummed and shoved a piece of black wood off his legs.

'So much for the boat,' Luffy noted as he picked himself up from the debris. There were small, superficial cuts made from sharp pieces of wood on his arms and legs, but they weren't that big of a deal. Sanji was already lighting another cigarette while watching Yosaku pull himself out of the wreckage.

"What the hell are you playing at?" Zoro wiped as much of the blood as he could from the cut on his forehead. It was an exercise in futility, though, as fresh blood quickly replaced what he managed to rub off.

Luffy, seeing as the injury wasn't that serious, decided not to mention it. He brushed off his vest and pants and looked around. So this was the island Nami came to. Arlong was somewhere back there, so they should probably do something about him...arg, his head was starting to hurt, nevermind.

"We're not playing. We came to take Nami back," really, Zoro should have known that, "did you find her? And where's Usopp and Johnny?"

Zoro flinched and suddenly jumped up, now furiously wiping at the blood on his face with his sleeve.

"Speaking of Usopp, I have to hurry!"

Luffy blinked and cocked his head to the side.

"Eh? What's happened?"

"Arlong captured him, and he could be killed if we don't-"

"He's already been killed!" Johnny seemed to come out of nowhere, gasping for breath as if he had run for miles. Luffy the others stared at him in shock, each wondering if they had heard right the first time. When it looked as if they weren't going to say anything, Johnny staggered forward.

"You're too late," Johnny wheezed as he wiped his brow, "Usopp-sempai was killed by Nami-sempai!"

Nope, even after hearing it for the second time, Luffy was still trying to process what Johnny had just said. That couldn't be right. Usopp wasn't dead and Nami didn't kill him. His friends would never do something like that; it was too painful to think about.

Then came the anger. He had reached out and grabbed Johnny's shirt before he could control himself. How dare he say something like that! It wasn't true, any of it, and if he had to stay angry so he _wouldn't_ think about it-

"Stop it, Luffy! It's not Johnny's fault, right?" Yosaku tried to pull him off his friend, but with little success. Sanji and Zoro didn't seem to want to interfere, however, leaving Luffy free to shout in Johnny's face. He couldn't even bring himself to feel bad about it.

"Then why did he say something like that?" Luffy shook Johnny again. "Nami would never kill Usopp! We're friends!"

"I know what I saw!" insisted Johnny, dangling helplessly from Luffy's grasp.

"YOU-"

"What are you doing here?" Luffy whipped his head around and dropped Johnny onto the ground. It looked like everyone was going to appear out of nowhere today. Luffy sort of hoped that when Hanley finally popped up she'd be in a good mood―wait, he was losing focus again.

It took Luffy a few seconds to remember Nami's question. He scrunched his brows in confusion―Luffy thought it was pretty clear.

"Why are you asking? You're my friend, so I came to take you with us."

Nami sighed crossed her arms. If he didn't know any better, she was acting pretty weird. Sure, she was scary, but she was also warm and cheerful. This Nami was completely different, and it perplexed Luffy quite a bit.

"You give me such a headache." Well, Nami sure wasn't the first person to tell him that, so maybe he was thinking _too_ hard.

"Sorry. So, let's go."

Nami rolled her eyes.

"Friend? Don't make me laugh. All you need is just someone who can give you a hand. Am I right?"

'Huh? Only someone who can...' Luffy's train of thought was quickly derailed (not surprising, happened all the time, really) when Sanji starting jumping about and waving his hand.

"Nami-san! Do you remember me? Let's go travel together!"

"Get lost! Why do you have to make it more complicated?" Zoro shouted in irritation.

"Ah? Don't you realize that my love is stronger than a mountain?"

Well, while they still didn't have a musician, Luffy could comfort himself with the thought that he had two comedians to make up for it.

Johnny clambered to his feet in the confusion and marched to the front.

"I told you that this is an evil-hearted woman! In order to get all the treasure underneath her hometown, she joined Arlong and is willing to kill anyone! She is a cold-blooded witch! All of you have been tricked by her! I saw her kill Usopp-sempai with my own eyes!"

Luffy opened his mouth to start shouting at Johnny again for saying such things, but Nami's response prevented him from doing so.

"So what? You want to seek revenge and kill me?"

"What did you say?" Johnny bit out.

Nami shrugged.

"Let me tell you something. Now, Arlong really wants to kill Roronoa Zoro and his friends because Zoro went and antagonized him. I'll admit you are pretty strong, but these fishmen are real devils."

"Nevermind about that," Zoro interrupted, unconcerned, "where is Usopp?"

Nami smiled dimly, "Why don't you look for him at the bottom of the sea?"

"Watch your mouth!" Zoro suddenly shot forward, hand going to his katana. Sanji swung his leg, clipping Zoro on the temple as the other ducked underneath the spinning roundhouse.

"What kind of swordsman would hurt a lady?"

"What the hell? You better get out of my way!"

"Tch!" Sanji blew a puff of smoke in Zoro's face. "Ever since you lost that shameful battle, you've become such a high-tempered person."

Zoro snarled, veins starting to throb on his forehead.

"Watch what you say, otherwise you might lose your head."

"Can you do that in your current condition?"

Yosaku pushed his way between them and forced them apart.

"Enough! We shouldn't fight each other at a time like this!"

"He's right. If you want to fight, then just get off this island! I don't want outsiders wasting their lives here. Don't you understand? The reason I befriended you was for your money! Now that you have nothing, I no longer have to care about you anymore. Is that so hard to believe?" Nami directed the last question to Luffy, who was still staring at her blankly.

Well, it wasn't like Luffy didn't know what to think―never really had an issue with being undecided about something. He had decided that Nami was his friend, so that was all there was to it. The Nami from before and the Nami now...wasn't right.

When he didn't answer, Nami grit her teeth.

"I will return your ship to you, is that what you want? Just get out of here and find a new navigator or One Piece or whatever you want to do! Get out of here, you're starting to piss me off! _Good-bye_!"

Luffy slowly nodded. There was only one more thing to do, then.

"Okay then. Let's get married."

And for some reason, everyone suddenly went silent and stared at him. Although, now that he really thought about it, Hanley did the same thing.

"I...I what?" Nami whispered, wide eyed, while Sanji let out a wail and all but jumped on him. Luffy gasped for breath as Sanji tried his best to shake his head right off his body.

"Luffy! How dare you? Should I be in awe or condemn your boldness?"

What? He just wanted her to stay. Luffy decided to just chalk it up to Sanji's strangeness; although, to be fair, he _didn't_ have a ring and from what he understood that could make all the difference.

"Hm, are you sure that's wise?" Zoro asked, scratching his head.

Yosaku turned to Johnny.

"As usual, Zoro-aniki is unflappable."

"I had no idea that witch's claws had dug so deep! Oh, Luffy-sempai!"

Nami had apparently had enough by that point, since she all but exploded.

"First I'm someone's gift and now you're asking for marriage? NO! Are you making fun of me?"

"Why would I do that?" asked Luffy, genuinely confused.

"I will not and never will accept such a ridiculous offer! Now get off this island!"

Luffy had to admit that he was starting to get a little worried about the color her face was turning, but in the end he figured she'd be okay. People had a way of turning different shades around him no matter _what_ he did. Still, marriage didn't work (weird, it worked on Hanley, but then he knew her better), so...

Luffy shrugged off Sanji's hands and plopped down on the ground.

"I am going to sleep here," he said, tucking his hands behind his head.

"Sleep? At a time like this?" Johnny shouted. "And you're going to sleep in the middle of the street like this?"

Sanji was merely content to nudge him with one of his feet. Luffy didn't even bother swatting at him, yawning loudly.

"I've never thought of getting off this island. And I don't really care what happens here. 'Sides, I feel like sleeping now-"

"Stop playing around! You will get killed!" screamed Nami. The others turned to her in surprise at the sudden outburst. After a brief moment of silence, Johnny sighed.

"All of you are out of your minds. What that witch said is right; Usopp-sempai has already died! Although...where's Hanley-aneki?"

"That's right! What if my lovely sea flower is in danger? How could I not think of her? The shame I feel-"

Zoro rolled his eyes.

"She's probably fine. Shut up, Gallant Chef."

Yosaku frowned and said, "What should we do? Usopp-sempai is dead, but Hanley-aneki could have unknowingly run into Arlong. I want to run, but...it would be unmanly to leave now."

"You exhaust me. Hurry up and find her and leave," Nami sighed. She turned on her heel. "I tried to warn you, don't blame me when you're killed."

"Tch! As if we would." Zoro waved her off and plopped down by Luffy, crossing his legs and resting his katana on his shoulder.

"Hey!" Sanji called several minutes later. Nami was long gone, and seeing as Luffy wasn't moving an inch, they had stationed themselves around him to wait out his nap. Sanji had reclined against a tree, cigarette hanging loosely from his lips. Both Yosaku and Johnny jumped at the sudden noise, still jumpy about remaining on the island.

"You talking to me?" Zoro sounded genuinely bored, staring at the dirt at his feet.

"Nami-san really killed that long-nosed kid?"

Johnny grunted, "I told you, I saw it."

"I trust Johnny's word," Yosaku added. Zoro shrugged.

"Maybe. Even though she's small, I was once beaten up by her. Maybe she's already killed Usopp."

"...Small?"

"Do you think we should try to find his...body..." Yosaku's mouth dropped and he started stammering and pointing into the distance. Johnny frowned at him in concern.

"Oi, Yosaku-"

Sanji suddenly leaped forward, bringing his foot down for a drop kick just as Zoro lifted his remaining katana to intercept.

"Nami-san's breasts are not small!" Sanji roared.

"Are you only thinking of such dirty things?" Zoro retorted.

And somehow, Usopp's face found itself between their weapons.

Luffy started when a nasty crunching sound filled the air followed by an agonizing scream. He had been half paying attention to the others as he dozed, but now the commotion had shaken off any bit of sleepiness left in him.

Luffy leaped to his feet and gasped. Usopp lay bloody on the ground, and for a long moment Luffy feared that Johnny wasn't wrong after all.

"Usopp! Nami did this to you?"

Sanji coughed and motioned to Zoro.

"Actually, that's our fault."

"Hn! It's only yours, Ero-chef," muttered Zoro.

Usopp coughed and managed to pull himself out of Luffy's grasp. He was filthy, bloody, and probably missing a tooth, but he was alive. Luffy had never been so relieved...so, what were Nami and Johnny talking about?

"L-Luffy, you're here, too!"

Johnny grabbed Usopp by the shoulders as if unable to believe his eyes.

"I saw it, I know I did. The blood, you going into the water-"

"That's the thing! Nami was the one that saved me...everyone, I think there must be some reason that she joined those fishmen. We're definitely missing something here!"

"Hmm..." Sanji murmured, taking a drag from his cigarette, "then a little investigation is in order."

Usopp nodded in agreement.

"Yeah...er, speaking of missing...where's Hanley?"

"She must be trapped by villains awaiting rescue!"

"...There's something wrong with you, isn't there?"

Hanley had been gone for a while now. What if she wasn't okay? It wasn't like she was weak, definitely not, but she spent so much time worrying that she wouldn't be okay that she usually ended up not being okay.

Right.

Problem was there wasn't a way to see if she fine or not. Didn't really know where she was. Still, Luffy Junior really liked her so...

Usopp's next question broke into his thoughts.

"So, are we in agreement?"

"Even if you are, it's hopeless," a new voice called out. Luffy supposed today was going to be a day where people popped out of the air. Why he couldn't do the same he won't think about.

She was tall with light blue hair and markings on her upper left arm. Luffy had never seen her before, but she was acting pretty familiar with them. Was he supposed to know her?

"Who's she?" he asked Usopp.

"Oh, Nami's older sister. Her name's Nojiko," the other answered. Luffy stared at the woman again. Wow, who knew she had one?

"Nami-san's sister? No wonder! She's so beautiful!" Sanji swooned and acted funny as he usually did. Yeah, Luffy was really glad he at least had a comedian.

Zoro crossed his arms and sighed.

"And what do you mean by that? I'm kinda tired of people telling me what I can and can not do."

Nojiko smiled wryly at him.

"Oh my, excuse me. Please, won't you hear me out and don't get involved in our business? If you leave, I promise to tell you everything."

Luffy slowly blinked and scratched his head. What a stupid deal―why should he care about Nami's past? He wanted her on his crew _now_. Besides, he had hung around here long enough. He didn't know a lot about being a husband, but he was pretty sure that if he didn't try finding his wife he'd have been a bad one. Was she even on the island, though? Well, wouldn't know until he started looking.

"I don't want to listen to that. I don't really care about Nami's past. Hanley's waiting for me so I'll go look for her."

"You don't want to know about her past?" Usopp asked in surprise.

"We may find out why she's with Arlong! It could be the break we need!" added Yosaku.

Luffy shrugged.

"Guess so, but I'd rather find Hanley then have her find me sitting around."

Usopp blanched for a long moment and coughed.

"Yes, good point. You better go, then. Godspeed."

"Bye!" Luffy stuffed his hands into his pockets and starting ambling down the road. He had no idea where he was going, but he didn't know where Hanley was either so it worked out.

"Hanley! Where did you goooo? Hm..." Luffy tilted his head back and stared up at the sky, tired of looking at trees and rice paddies for the time being. Geez, he couldn't take her anywhere.

Luffy traipsed along the winding dirt path, not coming across anything, much less any hints as where he should be looking.

And what was Arlong like, and those fishmen? Luffy almost couldn't wait to see them for himself. Maybe they looked like tuna with legs. They probably had fish lips, and, also, if they were fishmen how could they breathe out of the water and not die? Maybe they had tanks on their heads? That would be too cool―nope, Hanley wasn't there, either. Well, after this she can't say he didn't try looking.

Still, she didn't look too good after the Krieg fight. She moved all wrong and slow and...

What was going on over there?

Luffy picked up his speed somewhat as he approached a small village. People were out in the streets and there was some sort of fuss going on in the distance as a large group of men walked down the main street. The others weren't much to look at, but _one_...

He stared, open mouthed in awe at the sight. It was both amazing and beyond cool. The way it perched on that guy's head! The way it spun! He almost wanted one for himself! The men turned down an alleyway, much to Luffy's disappointment; but, still...why did that man wear a pinwheel on his head?

* * *

Nami

Why? Why did everything have to go so wrong so fast?

She was so close! It was so close to being over! Those years of hell and guilt and pain were almost over and she could start putting it all behind her!

"I said," Major Nezumi answered as he motioned for his men to fan out, "that you should give all of the treasures that you have stolen. As they were originally the spoils from pirate raids, the government needs to collect them and return them to their proper owners. I thought I was clear." The marine smiled in a thoroughly unpleasant manner as he ran his fingers through his thin, whisker-like mustache.

Why now? Why did this have to happen now when she was just one trip away from buying back Kokoyashi?

Nezumi raised an arm.

"Search for the treasures!"

"Yes, sir!" His men quickly spread out, bursting into her house and circling around to the fields beyond.

"Wait! Don't go into my house without permission!" Nami managed to catch one in the gut and sent him face first onto the ground. It was enough to make the others stop momentarily in surprise. "Stop, I said! Why...don't you know that Arlong has killed many people and destroyed many villages? Yet you're here and not doing anything to him? Under his control, everyone was treated as a slave! And you didn't do a single thing about it! And now you just want to find the treasure of one thief? What sort of government are you?"

Nezumi snickered, "As an outlaw, you had better keep your mouth shut. Don't worry about her and continue searching."

"Everyone is expecting help from you, but you come here and don't do anything!"

Nami had never had much confidence in the ability of the Marines. They were weak, ineffectual, and worse. But this just went beyond the pale. Far beyond.

Her worst fears were realized when one seaman approached and gave a smart salute.

"Sir! There is something in the tangerine grove!"

"Dig it up, then!" ordered Nezumi.

Nami snarled and swung her pole again, catching another hapless marine across the jaw.

"Don't touch Bellemere-san's tangerines with your dirty hands! I won't give that money to you, that money is―"

"That money is to help Kokoyashi Village! What right do you have to take that money away, Marine?" Genzo screamed suddenly, causing Nami to stare at him in complete shock.

"How...do you know that, Gen-san?"

Genzo sighed heavily and adjusted his cap.

"I've known for a long time. The thought of you betraying us after what happened was ludicrous, so we made Nojiko tell us everything. Everyone in the village knows what you were trying to do. But we didn't want our hope to hold you back, so that's why we had to pretend that we didn't know."

For a long moment, Nami couldn't speak. They knew? Nami could feel her eyes start burning, and had to blink rapidly to avoid crying in front of everyone. She hadn't cried in years and she wasn't going to start now.

Nezumi scoffed.

"What are you talking about now? Does this mean the entire village if filled with thieves? Shall I arrest all of you?"

"We're trying to say," Nojiko called as she walked up the path, "that we cannot expect any help from the government. Because of this, we can only rely on ourselves! If you didn't come to help us, you'd better get out of here! If you don't hurry, Arlong will sink your ship!"

"Arlong? Do you think that he will sink my ship?" Nezumi muttered under his breath. Nami frowned.

'What did he mean by that...? Something is very wrong here. Who reported me to him, anyway? If the villagers know then they wouldn't have, then that leaves...'

"Still can't find it?" Nezumi snarled in disgust. "I didn't order you to find a small seed! Why can't you find one hundred million beri?"

'What―'

"Hey! How do you know the amount of the money you're looking for?" Genzo screamed, confirming Nami's fears.

"Huh? Oh! I just thought it would be about that amount." Nezumi hedged. Unconvincingly.

'Is it? No, it couldn't be, not after all this time!' But was it really so surprising? She knew the cruelty Arlong was capable of. Was she so naïve to think that Arlong would let her go so easily?

She had to know for sure!

"Did Arlong ask you to come here?" Nami could have wrung Nezumi's neck when he smiled at her.

"Ah, about that…"

"You piece of crap!" roared Genzo.

"You call yourself a Marine, but you're nothing more than a pirate's pet! How dare you?" Nojiko started forward, but Nezumi merely waved his hand.

"Take care of them! Don't let them get involved in the search."

Three of the Marines pulled out their guns and aimed them at Nami.

"Sir!"

"No...!" Nami gasped, backpedaling.

"Nami, look out!" Nojiko tackled her to the side just as they fired. They hit the ground and rolled to the side, trying to avoid any other bullets that may be coming their way.

"You two!" Genzo all but dove at them, carefully turning Nojiko over when it became clear she was injured. Nami could barely breathe at the sight of the blood.

"Nojiko!"

Nojiko groaned and shook her head.

"I'm fine, I'm okay, it's just..."

Genzo ignored her and gently lifted her.

"We need to see the doctor, come!"

They left the Marines to their search and quickly made their way towards the main road. Nojiko was pale and breathing heavily, but she constantly murmured assurances to Nami, as if Nami was the one that needed them. Everything was crumbling around her and she didn't know what to do-

"What is it, Gen-san?"

"Hey!"

"You were shot by the Marines?"

The townspeople gathered around them, but Nami's eyes were only for Nojiko. It was too much like Bellemere, and it was all Arlong's fault this time as well.

Rage slowly built up in her chest. She couldn't let this lie―no matter what, she couldn't let Arlong get away with this! She―

"What happened, Nami?" a cheerful voice cut through the fog that surrounded her senses, completely unaware of the atmosphere around them, "You need some help?"

It was him, Luffy, one of the few people she didn't want to see right now. Why? Why couldn't they leave? Why were they sticking their noses where they didn't belong? This wasn't their home, their problem, so _why_? It was too much to bear at that moment.

"You still here?" Nami snapped, grabbing his vest with her injured hand.

Luffy looked at her in surprise. "Eh-"

"It's none of your business! Get the hell out of here!" She threw him down to the ground, taking off down the road towards Arlong Park. She ignored the villagers calling after her. If it wasn't for the sensation of firm ground beneath her feet as she raced towards Arlong Park, Nami would have thought it was one big, horrible nightmare. One that began eight years earlier when Bellemere's death.

'ARLONG! ARLONG!'

Nami repeated his name like a mantra as she crossed the island in record time. Her lungs were burning by the time she reached the compound, and there was an odd coppery taste in her mouth as she burst through the gates. Nami paused long enough to catch her breath before she marched up to the fishman. He was sitting on his throne, as usual, looking so smug and secure she would have driven her staff through his heart if she just had even _half_ of a chance...

"ARLONG!"

He turned to her, unconcerned and unsurprised at the state she was in.

"Hm, it's our navigator! What's wrong? Why do you look so sad?"

"You used that Marine to take my money away from me, right?" Nami lost it, grabbing the lapels of his gaudy hawaiian shirt. "What's the meaning of this? You told me that you would not break your promise about the money!"

"Break my promise? When did I break my promise?"

"Don't pretend that you don't know! You ordered those-"

Arlong easily shrugged off her grip and wrapped a large hand around the lower part of her face, completely covering her mouth and jaw. Nami froze, suddenly aware of how he easily he could crush her skull.

"Tell me," Arlong continued as if she did not interrupt, "when did I break my promise?"

At that point, the reality of the situation really sunk in. No matter how hard she worked, how much money she collected, Arlong would find some way to take it all away. The thought of more years trapped under Arlong's yoke with no end in sight...

And they were laughing at her. Arlong and his horrible crew were laughing. She was going to be nothing more than a slave, her village would never be free. To her shame, tears started falling down her cheeks. She hadn't cried in years, and now Arlong and his crew were there to see her weakness.

'Dammit..._dammit_...!'

Arlong continued speaking, chuckling occasionally, "The Marines, hm? You're very unfortunate! But still, a promise is a promise. If you can't get me one hundred million beri, I won't give the village back to you."

"You...devil..." Her voice was muffled by his hand, but he still managed to hear her.

"Shahaha! But that's okay! It's only one hundred million beri! You can collect it anytime! Or," his voice lowered threateningly, "do you want to escape from this island? But if you do that, then I will kill everyone in Kokoyashi village. Feel free to leave if you can live with that."

"Hey, that's enough!"

'Hanley?'

Nami couldn't turn her head, but she flinched in surprise when Hanley actually grabbed Arlong's arm.

"Let go of her. Now." Hanley tugged, but Arlong's arm didn't budge. He tilted his head, considering.

"Is something wrong, Hanley?"

"Yes something is wrong! Grown men sitting around and laughing at a girl, it's sickening!"

Arlong's grip had loosened to the point where Nami could yank her head free.

"So this is where you've been, Hanley?" screamed Nami.

"Nami-"

"Are you part of his crew?" At this point she was bordering on hysterical, and she wasn't in the mood to care how she sounded at this point.

"I, wait-"

"Or maybe you're here to butt into our business like the others? Even though I lied and stole from you? Do you still want to help me even after all that?"

Hanley's expression grew alarmed and she glanced at Arlong.

"Hm, what an interesting thing to say..." he muttered.

Hanley snarled, "Oh goddammit―fine! I don't know what's going on, why you're trying to buy a village or whatever, but yes! I...didn't I say we could also become naka-"

"Don't say it, it's too painful, Hanley," Nami interrupted. Hanley's lips thinned before she looked at Arlong who, for his part, seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the drama playing out before him.

"My, my, have we been lying, Hanley?" Arlong asked.

"Don't act like you're hurt," Hanley said, turning to Nami, "he's trapped you here, hasn't he? That's why he threatened that Koko-place, right? Nami, you could have said something, you didn't have to steal-"

"Don't patronize me." Nami didn't want to hear all that, now that everything was crumbling around her ears, now that the past eight years were a gigantic waste.

It was hard to see, but Hanley's face was slowly reddening.

"Buy the village back...so that's why you needed money so badly. And those Marines...I think I get it. So he's taking the money back. Reneging on his deal?"

Arlong smiled.

"Such slander. My condition is that she pay me one hundred million beri; part of that requires her to bring it to me-"

Hanley's fist suddenly shot out and caught him on the jaw, snapping his head to the side. His crew went silent from shock, and Nami stared in horror.

"You're a bastard, Arlong. A fucking bastard. Even if I wasn't promised to someone else I'd rather have my tongue ripped out than side with a man that treats people so badly. That must be what you wanted to do, right, Nami?" Hanley's voice was a little shaky, but she waved Nami to the side.

Nami shook her head.

"No...they're devils-"

"I can't be the only person you're worried about, right? From the way you ran in here."

Nami froze. She was right. After the Marines came, the villagers wouldn't stand for it! They would surely come! Nami turned on her heel and ran, wiping the tears from her eyes.

'I'm sorry, Hanley, but I have to stop them! They'll all die if they come! Gen-san, everyone, please don't come here, _please_...no one must die, otherwise, everything will end and there will be nothing left!' She had to convince them, somehow, to cool down.

It was fortunate that the island wasn't that big; apparently she had made it just in time, as the villagers had amassed on the main road with makeshift weapons―wooden swords fashioned from the local trees, kitchen knives tied to poles to make makeshift spears. Even Nojiko was there, arm bandaged and with a long pole.

"WAIT!" she cried out, trying to fix a smile on her face as they turned. "Everyone, please be patient! I will try to collect the money again, okay? It's not gonna be difficult this time!"

"Nami..." Genzo muttered.

"It's...it'll be okay. Everything will be okay...everything-"

Nami started in surprise when Genzo stepped forward and drew her into a hug.

"That's enough," Genzo said gently, "you knew that nothing was working. It must have been painful to join them. You've fought well. Now, you've done more than enough. They will never let us go, so you get off this island."

"W-Wait!" Nami protested, breaking free from his embrace.

"Nami, you are a very smart young lady. And you have a dream to accomplish, right?" Nojiko added.

What was happening? What were they thinking? In desperation, she pulled out the dirk she kept sheathed on her hip and held it in front of her.

"Everyone! Don't go! I don't want to see anyone get hurt by them! If you go, you will be killed!" Nami had to make them see reason, she just had to! Genzo, however, shook his head and sighed.

"We know." He suddenly grabbed the knife by the blade, drawing blood. He forced it down.

"Nothing and no one will help us now. We've all decided!" shouted the doctor.

Nojiko smiled. "Nami, it's okay, this is better."

"Get out of our way, Nami!" With those words, Genzo raised his cutlass and led the villagers past her. "Let's go, everyone! Even though we can't win, we have to show them our pride!"

They screamed in agreement as they raced towards Arlong Park; and, ultimately, their deaths.

Nami fell on her knees as they vanished in the distance. So, that was it, then. Eight years of fighting had come to this. Nami grabbed her left arm, all but feeling the brand on her left shoulder. Arlong...everything went back to Arlong! She sobbed in despair and her eyes fell on the dirk still clutched in her hand. Nami suddenly grasped the knife and stabbed her shoulder. She didn't care about the pain, she just had to...! She stabbed at her tattoo a second time, but when she raised her arm for another blow her hand was caught in someone else's.

Nami glanced over her shoulder, blinking in surprise.

"Luffy?" Nami pulled her hand free and slumped in defeat. "What is it, now? You don't know anything!" Why wouldn't they leave?...Were they really prepared to do all that for someone who betrayed them?

"No, I don't know anything," he confirmed in his usual straightforward manner.

Nami's fingers dug into the ground and she picked up a fistful of dirt, throwing it behind her at where she assumed he was standing. If it hit him he didn't say.

"I told you to get off this island!" Nami sobbed.

"Yes. You've already told me."

She couldn't stand it anymore. She had fought alone for so long, but now she couldn't stop it by herself. She needed their help, she could finally admit that. Nami turned to face him.

"Help me..."

Nami wasn't sure what Luffy would say. She had spent the entire day antagonizing them and...

Luffy took the straw hat off his head and placed it roughly on hers. He took a few steps forward and took a deep breath.

"**I WILL HELP YOU. DEFINITELY!** "

Nami touched the rim of the hat, shocked. The hat that Luffy was so protective of...

"Luffy..." she was pulled out of her musings by the arrival of the others: Sanji, Usopp, Zoro, as if Luffy's declaration was some sort of signal for them to appear.

Luffy nodded, uncharacteristically solemn.

"Let's go."

"Yeah!"

* * *

Krut Hanley

Punching Arlong was about the stupidest thing she had ever done in recent memory.

She couldn't help it, though. Hanley didn't know all the details, but she was smart enough to put the pieces together when they were presented to her in such a fashion. Blackmail, extortion, slavery―she surely recognized all that. She wasn't all that brave, but she had her pride and even if they kicked her ass (and they probably would) she wouldn't let that go.

Problem was, she was still all messed up from Krieg working her over, and even her teeth were starting to ache.

Yeah, she was screwed.

"You know I can't let slide, Hanley, no matter whose granddaughter you are." Arlong stood almost leisurely and cracked his neck. She could sense the other fishmen surround her back.

"Don't let that stop you; I'd rather have you knock me senseless then listen to your nonsense." Well, at least she sounded brave. God, where was everyone? She was going to kick all of their asses!

"That's a good attitude."

And then he moved.

He was a lot faster than he looked, and if not for her grandfather's ridiculously spartan training from hell she would have had her gob knocked right off. She forced her aching knees and hips into action, however, and twisted under the blow and around to his side. Hanley aimed a kick at the side of his knee, out of ideas and trying to incapacitate him. His leg bent, the joint not meant to go in that direction, and for a moment he staggered. Hanley pressed her advantaged and her spin crescent kick connected in nearly the same spot as her earlier punch.

"You bastard, what you've done to Nami I can't forgive!"

Arlong laughed, suddenly, shaking off her blows. Hanley cursed and danced away from another almost lazy swing. He was toying with her, knowing he had nothing to worry about.

'It's like punching a goddamn boulder!' She could still feel the sensation of his rough skin on her knuckles. 'The fuck is he made out of?'

"Hm. You're getting violent. Well, I can't very well have you too damaged, not until I see how valuable you may be to us. Hold her."

"What-" Hanley yelped when two of the fishmen she had, admittedly, forgotten about, grabbed her arms. Well, fuck that. She immediately straightened her right arm and twisted it around, breaking his grip when his wrist was forced into an awkward position. She then struck his lower jaw with a quick elbow strike, stunning him, allowing her to whip her fist around and sink it into the other fishman's abdomen. He wasn't half as tough as Arlong, as even in her weakened state the blow was more than enough to get him to let go. She placed her right leg behind his left and grabbed his face, throwing him head first into the concrete.

Hanley started to turn when a massive fist caught her in the temple. She was standing, and the next she was eating concrete, feeling as though she were hit by a galleon.

What was that―did she―what...

"Of course, I couldn't let those blows go unpunished. You understand, right?" Arlong's voice came from somewhere above her.

'Bastard...I'll get you...what you've done to Nami-' Nami was crying and screaming, and Hanley didn't need to know what exactly had happened, or whose fault it was. She couldn't let it slide.

"Hanley-anekiiiiii!" a familiar voice called out. Hanley lifted her head in surprise.

"That...isn't that Johnny?"

"Hang in there!"

"And Yosaku?"

The bounty hunters leaped down into the crowd, swords swinging. They caught four of the fishmen by surprise, taking them down with relative ease.

"We will help you, Hanley-aneki!"

"And we will avenge Nami-sempai!"

Arlong sneered in annoyance.

"Sha! What the hell is all this commotion today? Get rid of these clowns."

Yosaku and Johnny went back to back, swinging their swords in tandem. It was plain to see that they had worked together for many years. Unfortunately, with the element of surprise now gone, they were really no match for the fishmen. Hanley winced and turned when the first blows started landing.

'You two, really...'

It was the thought that counted, she supposed.

"Throw them out, they're not worth killing. And Hanley, I hope you're not going to get anymore funny ideas."

Hanley hissed and struggled to get up.

"If it's Handerson's help you want, I really don't think you're going to get it. She doesn't seem to be the type to be 'helpful.'"

"No doubt! I merely wish to give her a business proposition. As far as I know, our interests are along the same lines. You're just a means of softening her up."

'This is so wrong...is Nami okay? And Johnny and Yosaku...?'

Hanley still lay on the ground, thinking rapidly of a way out of this. It may not work, but if she could gather her strength for a decent Soru-

Her schemings were interrupted once again, this time by a large crash and shouts. That could only be-

"Which one of you is Arlong?"

'Hanuman what took you so fucking long? My god, I thought you wanted to beat this guy up?'

Still, Hanley could feel a smile form on her face and she sighed in relief.

"Who is that man?" Arlong growled, looking enraged. Luffy usually had that affect on people. Hanley forced herself to at least put herself into a sitting position; her performance so far had been shameful enough as it was.

"I said, who is Arlong?" Luffy repeated, cracking his knuckles.

"That's me. What do you want?"

"I'm Luffy." Anyone not familiar with him would have been thrown by the seeming non-sequitur, and Arlong was no exception. He gave a grunt and took his time answering.

"So. You are Luffy. Who are you, anyway?"

"A pirate." He was drawing closer, looking for all the world as if he were going for a stroll. Two of the fishmen approached him, towering over him threateningly.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing?"

"You have to deal with us before talking to him-"

Luffy grumbled in irritation and suddenly slammed their heads together.

"Get out of my way." He stepped over their prone forms, ignoring the other fishmens' shock. Luffy blinked when he saw her and immediately swerved to kneel in front of her. "Hanley! Here you are! I was looking for you, really."

"Oh, really?"

"Of course! Don't be mad...er, you're not going to hit me, are you-"

"Hanuman."

"Yeah?"

Hanley raised her hand, sighing in amusement when he tensed for a blow. Maybe she should be gentler with him if he was going to be like that. Maybe. She ran her fingers through his hair and yanked him down for a brief hug.

"I'm too tired and in too much pain to be angry. Just...do what you're planning."

"Of course." Luffy smoothed his shorts as he stood and once again approached Arlong.

"What does a pirate need from me?" Arlong asked, unmoving.

This time, it was Luffy who threw a punch, only his was far more effective. Arlong literally went flying, out of his chair and was sent skidding across the plaza into the far wall.

'Ugh, sickening. What crazy strength.'

Various fishmen roared in anger and charged at him.

"How dare you!"

"You crossed the line!"

"Kill him!"

"Weaklings are not allowed to interrupt!" How Sanji managed to hit every last one of them Hanley didn't know, but right now she didn't care. It was a little galling to get saved like this; oh well, beggars couldn't be choosers.

Zoro and Usopp were close behind, bringing up the rear.

"This is just like you, Luffy!" Usopp complained.

"Why did you come here by yourself?" added Sanji, sighing in irritation.

"I've never lost to anyone," Luffy replied confidently.

It was such a blatant lie that Hanley couldn't help but snicker.

"Hanuman, please, even I've managed to beat you."

Luffy nodded.

"Oh, yeah," he paused, "Hanley cheats."

"Hanley also won."

"So this is where you've been the entire time. Did you try to take them out yourself, then?" Zoro was kind enough to actually help her to her feet. Hanley hissed and placed a hand on her hip. God, she ached-

"Hanley-san! What have they done to you? Those shitty bastards will pay!"

Sanji, naturally.

"No, I got dragged here by Junior and was forced to stay. I'll live, though. More importantly, these guys have to pay." Hanley leaned against the side of a building.

"Roronoa Zoro, hm." Kuroobi crossed his arms.

Hachi pointed at them angrily.

"That's him, right! I remember him! Why did you trick me?"

"And how come that long-nosed guy is still alive? He should be dead." Hanley couldn't see who said it―she was more concerned about the subject.

"What are they talking about? They thought Usopp was dead?" She turned to him expectantly.

"Haha, nothing to worry about, now!" Usopp waved his hands. It made her worry all the more. When all this was over she was going to get the entire story, dammit.

"Pirates? I see. So that's how you're all related." Arlong picked himself up from the rubble, no worse for the wear. "It's Nami you really wanted in the first place. Shahahaha! You're just pieces of crap, what can you do?"

Luffy crossed his arms.

"Hm. Oh, that reminds me. You don't look good, Hanley. Did these guys really do that to you?"

Hanley frowned in confusion.

"Well, how do you think I ended up on the ground in the first place? Ugh, it's so aggravating and embarrassing..."

"Mm. That's no good."

"Embarrassing?" Arlong huffed in disgust. "What's embarrassing is the way a superior life form hangs around with such filth-"

"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" Luffy's next punch got him square in the mouth, sending him right back into the rubble. Luffy calmly rotated his shoulder, ignoring the screams. "Shut up. Hanley can still fight, right?"

Hanley nodded.

"Of course. Don't worry about me, okay? You must've seen Nami, is she-"

"She'll be okay." Luffy surprised her again by looking her over carefully. "I won't stop you from fighting, and I don't wanna make you mad by trying anyway. Still, are you sure?"

'What's this?...Hanuman...you don't sound like yourself, and you look so...' Hanley briefly turned away, perplexed. 'He's...oh my god―'

"D'you hear me, Hanley-"

"Un! Um, yes...we're here to get Nami back, so let's drag her with us."

Luffy smiled widely.

"Yosh!"

'Oh my god-'

"You're not worthy enough to fight Arlong-san! I will make all of you become my pet's meal!" Hatchan interrupted them by blowing his mouth like a trumpet. The water in the pier became to roil as something large became to emerge from the sea. Hanley gasped.

"Hey, that must be-"

"Show yourself, Mohmoo!" Hatchan cried. Mohmoo, Luffy Junior, burst from the sea with a loud cry. He shook his head and snorted. "Good! You see those people? Get them!"

"Eh? So Luffy Junior's with them?" muttered Luffy.

Sanji shrugged and took a drag from his cigarette.

"Makes sense, I guess."

Hanley staggered forward.

"Junior! Don't do that, please Junior?"

Luffy Junior clearly perked up and mooed happily at the sight of her. Hanley smiled and raised her hand.

"There."

Luffy Junior nudged her hand gently and carefully nuzzled her head. Hanley could have done without the watery mucus coming from his snout, but that was infinitely better than getting attacked. Hatchan stared at the both of them, obviously feeling betrayed.

"Mohmoo! How could you?"

"I don't believe it," Kuroobi muttered.

"Was I not feeding him properly?"

Arlong's voice cut through the atmosphere like a knife.

"What are you doing, Mohmoo?"

Luffy Junior froze, clearly terrified. Arlong didn't sound overtly threatening, rather, pleasant. However, that pleasant tone sounded more menacing than Hanley thought possible. The last time, it was enough to get Junior to leave her behind. He looked at her in distress, but Hanley didn't know what to do.

Arlong continued speaking in that same, pleasant tone, "Okay. If you really don't want to fight, I won't stop you. Mohmoo."

Junior shuddered and hesitated. Hanley glared at Arlong, hoping she could knock him out with the power of her gaze alone. No such luck, though, as Junior suddenly knocked her aside, out of the way, and lunged for the others.

"Junior! No!" Hanley scrambled to get to her feet just as Usopp screamed.

"Here it comes!"

"Watch out, Hanley!" Luffy raised his leg and slammed it into the concrete, followed by his other leg as if he were some scrawny, yet overpowered yokozuna. Hanley cursed as the rest of the mooks charged forward as well. "I got them, duck!"

Well, what else could she do but duck?

Hanley covered her head as Luffy began twirling his body and knocking the first wave of attackers back with his fists. His body now resembled a tightly wound spring, and he reached up to grab Junior by the horns.

"You shouldn't have done that! You don't treat your crew mates like that!"

Luffy Junior stared at him in astonishment and whimpered.

"So you're sorry? Well, I'll take this as an apology!"

Hanley gaped.

"Hanuman, what do you think you're―put me down!" Hanley directed the last of her shout at Zoro as he tossed her over his shoulder and began running as Luffy actually began to drag Luffy Junior's massive bulk towards himself.

Usopp was far ahead of them.

"Let's get out of here!"

"What is he doing?" Sanji shouted as he followed.

"Gomu Gomu no Kazaguruma!" It became chaos as the area surrounded Luffy was that of concentrated destruction. Using Junior as an improvised weapon, he swung him around, blowing away every fishman unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity. Once he ran out of power, Luffy finished it up by tossing the poor sea cow into the distance.

"I don't want to fight weaklings!" Luffy declared. "The only person I really want to beat up is YOU!" He pointed at Arlong, chest heaving.

Arlong smiled unpleasantly.

"That's great. I was just thinking about killing you, too."

Kuroobi, Hatchan, and the odd looking kissing fish stepped forward as well.

"It seems that we have to get involved, too." Kuroobi looked more put out than anything, although Hatchan was visibly upset.

"How could you do that to my friends?"

"We have to teach them the differences between species, chu," the Kissing Fish added. Zoro set Hanley to her feet.

"So, they want to fight now." Zoro rolled his shoulders and placed a hand on the hilt of his sword in preparation. Sanji and Usopp were too busy kicking and screaming at Luffy to notice.

"That was dangerous, you idiot!"

"You wanted to kill us, too?"

Hanley didn't much care about that, but she was concerned by the fact that Luffy's feet were still stuck in one spot. He was tugging them futilely, and the sight made her stomach sink. No one appeared to notice at the moment, but it would only be a matter of time before it became all the more apparent.

'Oh shit, he's nothing but a target!'

"Well, let's warm up, first," Kuroobi remarked. Hanley hissed a curse and wrapped her arms around Luffy.

"Hanuman...and to think you looked so...well, different earlier!" She began pulling as hard as she could, but with no success.

"Arlong-san, you can just take a seat and relax."

Kissing Fish smiled.

"If we let you do anything, chu, Arlong Park would be destroyed."

Hatchan wasn't saying anything; instead, he was bending over and taking deep breaths.

"Hey, what's that octopus doing?" asked Zoro.

"First, you have to boil the octopus, then slice it into pieces. Eat it with sauce, and it will make a very good appetizer." Forget the octopus, what the hell was Sanji doing?

Hanley grunted and gave another hard tug.

"Ooh, goddammit...why now?"

"Pull harder." Luffy sounded unconcerned, not making a move to help. She could have kicked him in the groin.

"What did you just say to me-"

"Take this!" Hatchan straightened and raised his arms. "Black Ink!"

"Octopus' ink?" Sanji and Zoro dove out of the way, and Hanley ducked behind Luffy's back to shield her face. Luffy took the full force of the blast, arms flailing widly.

"Blehh! I got some in my mouth!"

Zoro turned in shock.

"Idiot! Why didn't you step away?"

"I can't see anything!" Luffy wailed, wiping at his face. Hanley reached into her pocket for her handkerchief and tried to bat his hands out of the way.

"Hanuman, stop moving!"

"Get out of there!" Usopp warned as Hatchan picked up a large section of a broken dome.

'Shitshitshitshitshit―' Hanley abandoned his face and returned to trying to get his feet out. 'I'll have to break the concrete―'

"I can't move my legs, and I can't see." Luffy sighed.

"What?" Sanji muttered.

"But you did that by yourself!" Usopp actually sounded shocked by the turn of events, but Hanley knew. They would all learn eventually.

There was no time, as Hatchan had already started swinging downward.

"Black Ink...On the Rocks!"

"This sucks!..." Hanley started to lift her leg to kick it away, but Sanji beat her to it, easily shattering the makeshift weapon into large chunks.

"Geez, I have to follow the craziest captain in the world..."

"That's nice, Sanji!" Luffy cheered.

Hanley beamed at him.

"Oh, you're my hero, Sanji-kun!"

Sanji swooned at her, hearts in his eye and floating about his person.

"That makes me so happy, Hanley-saaaaan! The joy I feel right now cannot be measured-"

"So? You are just a human with some skill." Kuroobi sneered, unimpressed. "I never thought that pirates would become heroes. Anyway, you are nothing compared to us."

Sanji raised his visible eyebrow.

"Oh? Not better than men who make women cry and try to crush them along with their enemies? Don't make me laugh, shitty fish."

"It seems that you still don't realize the real level of the fishmen species."

Hanley motioned Usopp over.

"Can you pull him while I try to break this concrete?"

"Huh? Oh, sure! You're okay to do that, right?"

"I'll have to be." Even though her arms felt like jelly. "God, you want to drive me crazy, right?"

Hanley raised her fist and brought it down, loosening the concrete around his right foot. It didn't shatter completely like she hoped, so she resorted to digging out the cracked pieces. Usopp started pulling on his end.

"Still no good?" he cried.

Luffy scratched his chin.

"Hm, my foot's moving a bit."

"How deep did you stick your feet in?"

"I'm almost done on this end!" Hanley smashed the ground again, this time freeing it completely.

"Ooh, thanks, Hanley!" Luffy wriggled his toes at her. Hanley rolled her eyes and started to go to his other side, only for Hatchan to pick up another piece of wall.

"What do you think you're doing here? You must die!"

Usopp screamed and started running in the opposite direction, still clinging tightly to Luffy's midsection.

"My foot's still stuck," Luffy pointed out in a misguided attempt to be helpful.

"Oi, can't you see that they're busy?" Zoro seemed to suddenly appear at Hatchan's back, shouldering his katana. "Why don't you take me on?"

Hatchan looked confused for a brief moment before his expression turned furious.

"That's right! Roronoa Zoro! I totally forgot about you! You dare trick me?"

"You're not that bright, are you-" Zoro quickly jumped to the side when Hatchan slammed the chunk of wall right where he was standing. Hanley ducked to avoid the larger pieces flying about.

"And you are the one who hurt all of my friends!"

"Stop talking about the past. I don't care about why you want to kill me."

Hanley took that opportunity to move to Luffy's remaining foot and prepared to free it. Usopp sighed in relief and wiped his brow.

"Okay, Zoro, you can take care of that octo―ah! I forgot to hold on to him!"

"You what―ah!" Hanley rolled out of the way, barely missing being hit in the face by Luffy's knee. Luffy screamed as he shot forward, right into the fishman with the puckered lips. He went down hard as Luffy snapped back into his original position.

Hanley placed a hand over her heart at such a close call.

"Ugh, I'm too old for this."

"S-Sorry..." Usopp whimpered as the fishman sat up and glared furiously at him. They stared at each other, tension mounting. Hanley glanced between them, wondering what was going to happen next. Usopp gulped, his fingers twitching while the fishman's eyes narrowed even further. Silence reigned, a breeze fluttered their hair and clothes―was that a tumbleweed?

The moment broke; Usopp screamed and shot off in the opposite direction, the fishman right behind him.

"Aaah!"

"Do you want me to kill you?"

Usopp shot straight through the hole Luffy created and practically vanished from sight. The fishman reached the wall and paused, examining the crowd watching the fight. Hanley hadn't noticed them there before, but she had to assume they were the villagers under Arlong's yoke.

"Oh! You losers are still here? Chu 3, and aren't you Kokoyashi villagers?" He smiled nastily. "Holding weapons means you're trying to go against us. So, all of you will be..."

"FIRE SHOT!" Usopp's attack hit home, engulfing the fishman in flames and sending him flying onto the ground. He all but roared in pain and grasped at the burns on his face.

"Usopp-sempai!" Yosaku was there was well, beat up, but faring better than she thought he would.

"Your enemy," Usopp announced, jabbing his thumb towards his chest, "is me!"

The bravery lasted about as long as the fishman leaping to his feet and charging towards him.

"AAH!" Usopp disappeared into the distance, the fishman trailing behind.

Luffy laughed, "He's great."

"That was the strangest thing I've ever seen." Hanley shook her head. She turned back to see Arlong now standing from the rubble, a monstrous aura surrounding him as he slowly approached. Hanley tensed and glanced down. Luffy's other foot was still quite stuck.

"Arlong-san, I told you to take a seat and relax," Kuroobi objected.

Arlong waved his concern aside.

"I'm not going to do anything. I just want to say something."

"Ah! No problem, since you'll be crushed by me!" Luffy snapped as he swung his fist in a left handed Gomu Gomu no Pistol. Arlong merely tilted his head to the side and easily caught Luffy's punch.

"You really think that you can beat us up?"

"So what if we do?" taunted Sanji.

"Of course I think I can, moron! Now let go of my hand!" Luffy tried to pull his fist back with little success.

Hanley frowned, suspicious about his intentions.

"What do you think you're doing, Arlong?"

"Shouldn't you feel ashamed of yourself, Hanley? You, who comes from a superior race?"

"That nonsense again?"

"Nonsense? It is fact! That is how the world works―how nature determines what is weak and what is strong. If there was no hierarchy, would there not be chaos? We are naturally stronger, so we are superior."

"So I suppose you think it's your duty to guide those unfortunate enough to be born weak."

"It is a duty, Hanley. If you have power, then you are bound to use it. Well, perhaps it would be better to show you."

"What-"

And he swatted her aside _again_. She was seriously getting tired of being punched in the face. This time, however, it surprised her more than it hurt. Hanley landed by the waterside, nearly sliding into the ocean itself.

"You bastard!" Luffy swung his free leg this time; the position was too awkward though, and he didn't get nearly enough power behind it. It hit Arlong in the abdomen, but he didn't so much as grunt. Sanji started to move as well, only to have Kuroobi intercept him.

"I will not allow you to interfere with Arlong-san's work!"

"Shaha, are you angry? Sadly, you have other things to think about." Arlong speared the ground with his free hand, easily breaking through the concrete. It cracked and broke free, and Arlong easily lifted Luffy and the giant slab he was trapped in above his head. "Let's play a game, shall we? A person who has eaten a Devil Fruit can't swim...but in a situation like this, even a normal person can't do anything!"

Zoro cursed.

"He's going to throw Luffy into the sea!"

"No way! Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" With one arm still caught by Arlong, Luffy hoped to stun him with a blow to the face. Then he screamed when Arlong caught his arm between his fangs. Arlong smiled as blood dripped down his chin.

"Fool!"

Luffy snarled and returned the favor, biting the other's arm as hard as he could.

"That's cheating!"

"You little-" Arlong threw Luffy, concrete shoes and all, into the sea.

'No!' Hanley screamed unintelligibly. 'He'll die! He'll really die-'

Nothing mattered at that moment than getting to him, and Hanley was on her feet and diving into the water in a second. She could see him only yards away, struggling for breath. It infuriated her to see him like that, and she could feel herself hissing.

She nearly reached him when someone grabbed her ankle. Hanley's eyes widened and she turned. Kuroobi smirked at her.

"Did you think we'd just let you do what you want? Don't do anything foolish." He yanked her back and sunk a fist into her gut. Hanley gurgled and doubled over. One thing became clear, then.

She had never fought in water.

Kuroobi grabbed her ankle again and swung her around, faster and faster before launching her clear out of the water.

"Hanley-san!" Fortunately, Sanji managed to catch her before she went face first into a brick wall.

"Ungh, thanks..." Hanley muttered, angry.

"It's fine, holding you in my arms is-"

"Um, can you please put me down?"

Arlong laughed.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"It was nothing," Kuroobi said as he climbed out of the water.

Hanley fumed at the sheer arrogance. And what _was_ she doing? Didn't she beat Krieg? Didn't she want to make a name for herself? Why was she dicking around when Luffy needed her? So what if her bones felt brittle and her muscles were all but screaming obscenities at her?

Right.

Hanley brushed the dirt from her borrowed shirt.

"Sanji-kun, please excuse me. I'm getting Luffy, so take care of things up here."

"Of course, Hanley-san!" he sang in reply. Hanley coughed, deciding to ignore it.

Kuroobi looked amused, crossing his arms nonchalantly.

"Oh? So you're trying again? What makes you think you'll be more successful―"

"Soru!" Ignoring the pains in her body was difficult, but she had no choice. Luffy needed her, that was all that was to it. He needed her, and no goddamned _fish_ was going to get between them.

The look of surprise on his face made it all worth it anyway.

Her knee collided with his gut, repaying him for what he did earlier, and her elbow strike snapped his head back with a satisfying crack. She spun around grabbed his arm as he struck out for a counter. She locked his right arm in hers and brought down her elbow on his shoulder joint, popping it out of its socket. Hanley finished with kicking him to the side with a Dragon Kick.

"I'm not going to explain myself to you! It's none of your damn business why I follow that man," not that she really understood their relationship either, but that was beside the point, "but his enemies are mine, and I'll find a way to kill you myself if I have to!"

Kuroobi righted himself just before he landed, skidding a couple of feet before coming to a halt.

"Hoh, don't think this is all I have."

Sanji cheered, "You're amazing, Hanley-san!"

"Damn chef, why don't you focus?" snapped Zoro.

"Ah? I don't want to hear any guff from you, algae-head!"

"Hmph," Kuroobi grunted as he righted his arm and suddenly bore down on it, popping it back in place, "let's see if you can keep that up. I am a fishman with level forty karate, don't think it will be that easy again."

Hanley had never done anything in the sea more intensive than swimming, or at the most, salvaging; this seemed a good time as any to learn how to fight in the water. There was no way she was going to get Luffy out and bring him up for air unless she took him out in any case.

"Yeah? Well I'm a snake who suffered for ten years under a heartless, sadistic misogynist. If that's an example of level forty karate, you gotta long way to go." She turned and dove back into the water. She didn't have the luxury of chatting with him when Luffy was drowning. How long did she have until brain damage occurred?

Hanley knew Kuroobi was right behind her, and she headed straight down for the seabed. She could sense him behind her, right on her tail. She swerved through the debris and on another turn, she suddenly flipped over, causing Kuroobi to pass right over her. Hanley tried a kick only to have it blocked. She used him as a springboard to propel her backwards before he was able to land another punch.

"Is this all you have?"

Hanley made a face and twisted so she landed on a rock jutting out of the earth. Kuroobi scoffed.

"Nothing to say? Ah, yes...snakes can't breathe underwater, can they? But surely you know some of their techniques? No? Unfortunate. And here I was thinking I'd have a challenge."

'Tch...shut up talking―wait, who are they?' Out of the corner of her eye, she could see two figures swimming toward Luffy, one holding what looked to be a sledgehammer. Were they villagers? Shit, she was grateful, but if Kuroobi noticed...

Hanley kicked off and shot forward, determined to keep the sting ray busy.

'Let's go!'

"Better! Show me what you have!"

The first thing Hanley realized was that fighting in the water allowed a great deal more maneuverability on her part. Above, below, and it was far easier to change directions. On top of that, her blows felt stronger. The downside, naturally, was Kuroobi received the same benefits. They exchanged blows for a moment and went deeper into the sea.

"Fishman Karate: Itomaki Kumite!" To Hanley's surprise, one of his ponytails suddenly grew and caught her around the waist.

'What the fuck-'

"Joudan Bakushou!" Kuroobi's right hand shot out for a powerful palm strike. Hanley raised her arms just in time and blocked the blow, but the force was enough to snap her arms away. Kuroobi then brought his left arm around for a follow up strike. "Wantou Giri!" The blade on his arm collided with her neck. Hanley choked and her vision blacked out for a few seconds, more than enough time for Kuroobi to press his advantage.

"I'll give you one thing, you really are strong as expected―a human would have died by now. Perhaps Arlong-san is right to want to deal with those people. Really, so high and mighty."

'I can't believe _you_ are getting on someone about being too arrogant! After spending hours hearing your bullshit?'

"Still, Arlong-san will be upset if his bargaining chip is damaged beyond repair. So now, I must put you to sleep." Kuroobi adopted a basic stance and chambered his right fist. "Fishman Karate..."

'Shit, I can't let that hit! How the hell did he get his hair to grow like that? Doesn't matter!'

Hanley grabbed his hair and tugged, enough to send him off balance long enough for her to pull herself closer to him.

'If only I can do that...whatever that was I did to Krieg! Hanuman...!' If she couldn't get to him, if those villagers couldn't free him in time and he died like that―

'I'll kill you, I'll kill you, I'll kill you!'

This time, Hanley recognized the feeling coming over her, the hissing, the increase in awareness. It was more apparent underwater, and the heat Kuroobi gave off was like a furnace even in the warm waters. She could feel a lot things, right now: the fish, one of the villagers, and Luffy who was unconscious―

Hanley slashed Kuroobi's face with her elongated nails.

"What the―"

Hanley grabbed the hair on his head and began spinning around like a top, keeping a tight hold until she reached top speed.

'Hanuman won't die from such a thing, I'll make sure!' She released the hold on his hair and sent him into the hard seabed. Kuroobi cracked the rock when he landed. Hanley was on him before he had the chance to breathe, wrapping her hands around his middle and swimming upwards in an arc.

'Hold on for me just a little longer...I'll kill anyone...' She pile drove his head into the seabed again and swam back to survey the damage. His heart was racing even faster, but he was still going. 'Tough bastard!'

"Snake..." Kuroobi snarled, pulling his head from the rock and forcing himself upright. "I won't hold back on you now! This blow can break through one thousand tiles and kill with one shot! Fishman Karate: Senmaigawara Seiken!" It was impressive that he was able to pull of a punch off center, but he managed it. Hanley wasn't foolish enough to sit in one spot, and she vaulted over the fist and struck his temple with her left knee. Kuroobi flew back...right into Luffy Junior's snout.

Hanley beamed.

'Junior!'

Junior nodded determinedly and grabbed Kuroobi's arm. Kuroobi snarled in rage and attempted to free himself.

"What? You traitor!"

'Yes! Send us up!' Hanley grabbed Luffy Junior's nose ring.

As if he could read her intentions, he all but leaped upward. Hanley was forced to close her eyes at the insanely quick ascent, and gasped for breath when she was hit with cool, open air. The villagers shouted in surprise as they rose even higher.

"Moo!" Luffy Junior tossed Kuroobi into the air, high above Arlong Park.

'I have to finish him!' He was too high up for her to reach by jumping, and honestly, she was far too pumped to wait for him to come down.

So she ran―it made sense at the time.

Hanley didn't bother thinking about it, she pushed off Junior's snout, and just as she reached the pinnacle of her jump she pushed off the air again. She all but ran up to meet Kuroobi just as he flew right above Arlong Park.

"You go to sleep!" Hanley spun and hit Kuroobi's torso with a heel kick. He plummeted to the ground and smashed into the concrete. Hanley wasn't satisfied with that, though. She was going to make sure he didn't get back up any time soon. Hanley pushed every last ounce of her power into her legs and widened her stance. She didn't even think of how she was even handing upside down in the air for so long, and why the air beneath her feet felt so tangible. The only thing she was concerned with was achieving the right velocity.

"The Sword..." Hanley pushed off and closed the distance between her and Kuroobi so fast even she was surprised. Her body, however, moved on its own and at the last possible second she pointed her knees downward and slammed into his back. "Paravataksha!"

Kuroobi didn't scream or cry out, and there was a sickening crack when she connected. He arched in an almost unnatural way before slumping.

Hanley gasped for breath and rolled off to the side.

'I'm sure Grandfather won't mind if I borrow one of his signature moves...'

"You? Beat me in the water? Don't make me laugh! Sea snakes eat fish for _breakfast_, miserable bastard."

Hanley's vision was swimming. Whatever happened before had vanished, and on top of her adrenalin rush fading, she was absolutely wasted. But she couldn't stop now. Luffy was...why weren't her arms moving? Dammit, not now! Just a bit more!

Arlong sat silently for a long moment and stood. Hanley could see Hatchan laid out on the ground, nasty wounds on his body. Zoro wasn't in much better shape, but he was still conscious, at least. Sanji fared better than all of them as he hadn't fought yet.

"I see I've been too easy on you. I am hurt, Hanley. After the hospitality I have shown you..."

Hanley wheezed and tried to focus on him.

"Well, I can't just let this continue, can I? How dare you do such a thing to my brethren?" Arlong frowned when Sanji seemed to appear out of nowhere, standing between them.

"If I don't do something soon, my leg is going to get rusty. We can't get our captain if we leave you alone."

Zoro forced himself to his feet.

"Exactly. We aren't done here just yet. Hurry, Hanley."

Hanley nodded gratefully and slid into the water once more. She wanted to worry, but there was no time and she had to trust that they would be okay. The water revived her somewhat, to the point she could feel and move her arms. Luffy's feet were still encased in cement, and there was a woman looking as if she was pumping his chest. Luffy's neck was stretched incredibly far, most likely out of the water. Hanley felt relief wash through her. Maybe...!

Hanley quickly approached and placed a gentle hand on the tattooed woman's shoulder. She jumped in surprise then relaxed when she saw her.

'Thank you...' Hanley began punching the concrete around his stuck foot, cracking it. 'Just a little more. I'll...'

Luffy Junior mooed in concern at the sight of her bloody knuckles.

'Ugh, this is why I wrap rope around my fists. Almost Hanuman, just a bit more...' Hanley brought her fists together and raised them above her head. 'For fuck's sake, break!' Her hammerfist shattered the remaining concrete holding Luffy's foot hostage.

Yes! His lower body snapped upwards, right out of the water. Thrilled, Hanley grabbed the woman's hand and towed her upward. They reached the surface just in time to see Luffy high in the air, pumping his fists.

"I'm back!"

Hanley laughed tiredly and grasped a nearby pier.

"Idiot..."

"Phew, that was tough!" sighed a badly scarred man as he plopped onto his back. The blue hair woman smiled and helped Hanley out of the water.

"I don't know who you are, but thank you so much..." Hanley began.

"No, you and your crew have given us hope. We should be thanking you."

Hanley blinked slowly.

"I...guess?" Something told her she missed quite a bit. The blue haired woman laughed.

"I can see why my sister has so much trouble with you guys."

Hanley stared at her as the dots slowly came together.

"...Tsunami has a sister?"

Zoro and Sanji fared far worse than she thought. Zoro was hanging helplessly from Arlong's grasp, while Sanji was slumped over on the ground.

"He's that strong?' Hanley whispered. Luffy twisted in midair and stretched his arms until he had grabbed Zoro by his shoulders.

"Zoro!" called Luffy cheerfully.

"No, Hanuman...you're not-!"

"Let's switch places!"

Zoro screamed when he was flung into the air as Luffy swung downward.

"That idiot!"

"STUPID!" The villagers screamed in agreement.

Hanley cursed.

"He's injured, be more gentle! Junior, can you catch him?"

Luffy Junior nodded and with a large slap of his fin he swam as fast as he could to meet Zoro before he crash landed. Hanley turned back around to watch the fight, feeling anxious.

Luffy stretched his neck back and slammed his head into Arlong's chin.

"Gomu Gomu no Kane!" Arlong's head snapped backward.

"Followed by...a kick!" His roundhouse connected with Arlong's torso.

"Gomu Gomu no Bullet!" His attack sent Arlong into the ground. "Gomu Gomu no Gatling!" The barrage went on for several long seconds before Luffy jumped back and stretched his arms.

Arlong suddenly sat up, no worse for the wear.

"What are you doing?"

"I've just finished my warm up!" Luffy replied, cracking his knuckles. Hanley laughed softly. It was so like him. She could see Nami in the distance, and while she _still_ had little idea how she fit into this, Hanley was happy to see her. Luffy's hat was perched on her head, so something must have happened.

"Moo..." Luffy Junior slowly approached, Zoro lying prone on his snout. He leaned down and let him slide off onto the ground.

"Mr. Zoro, look at you," said Hanley. His wound was even worse than she remembered it, held together only by crude staples and a prayer. It was bleeding profusely, and she supposed they would be lucky if it didn't become infected and he died that way. From the way he was sweating and his eyes were glazed, it was also pretty clear that he was feverish on top of everything else. Hanley pulled herself closer to him and touched his cheek. Yes, he was definitely burning up.

"Look at yourself," came the short reply, "I will kill that guy."

"If you don't die first."

"I'll cut Shinigami himself before that happens."

"The both of you amaze me."

Arlong and Luffy were engaging in some pre-battle banter, taking stock of the other.

"I thought that it would be better if you died under there."

Luffy bent backwards, stretching.

"Good thing I was able to get help down there."

"Do you know how upset I am?" Arlong growled. "Sooner or later, you will die. I am so upset my beloved crew was beat up by worthless insects."

"Get him, Luffy! I will cheer from here!" Usopp called out from...a great distance away. Hanley chuckled and forced herself to focus. If Luffy needed bailing out again she had to be ready. If Arlong got him under the water-

'But how useful will I will be like this? I couldn't even damage him out of the water, much less in it...' Oh well, if it came to that she'd figure out something.

"Oh, so this is where you are..." Sanji pulled himself out of the water and slumped beside her. "Hanley-san, Nojiko-san, with your beauty I feel as if I can be revived..."

It was a testament to how beat up he was that he was too drained to sound particularly enthusiastic.

"How do you feel, Hanley-san?" Sanji continued, attempting to light a cigarette; unfortunately, they were far too wet to ignite.

Hanley shifted painfully.

"Like I'm going to die."

"If only I could heal you, Hanley-san. However, if he loses..." Sanji tossed his useless pack of cigarettes into the sea. "all of us will die."

"And that will also be the end of East Blue," Nojiko pointed out. Now that Hanley thought about it, she had a point. There probably wasn't anyone else, and you couldn't count on the Marines for anything, not even to pick up your laundry.

"That's right," murmured the heavily scarred man in agreement. Zoro remained silent―dozing, or simply having nothing to say, Hanley didn't know.

"Do you know what the difference is between me and you?" Arlong asked.

Luffy tilted his head.

"Teeth...or jaw? No, that crazy nose-"

Arlong dove forward, said jaws snapping.

"It's species!"

Luffy dodged to the side, barely avoiding the gigantic fangs. Arlong didn't stop there, continuing his assault with a succession of quick snaps at Luffy's face. It was going nowhere, so he quickly grabbed Luffy by the neck and slammed him against a pillar. He shot forward for a finishing blow, only to have Luffy grab his head and pull his neck aside. Arlong's teeth sank into the stone instead.

"Ha!" Usopp crowed. "Idiot! Your teeth will break-"

The pillar promptly shattered.

Hanley cringed in horror. Rubber was useless in the face of that! Luffy scrambled for safety, using the falling debris and dust as a temporary cover.

Arlong straightened and laughed.

"This is the power of fishmen. Don't you understand, now? Heaven gave us this power, separating us from you. Humans are lower and weaker than us from birth! This is unavoidable truth!"

"Even if he practices for the rest of his life, no human jaw can do that..." Usopp gaped in shock.

Luffy stared at Arlong for several long seconds before raising his fist and shattering the remains of a nearby pillar.

"So, what? Does that give you the right to boast? I don't have to bite to destroy a rock."

Yosaku and Johnny burst out into elated laughter.

"Ooh, that had to hurt!"

"See that? The result's the same!"

"Boring." Furious, Arlong charged. "Humans are a worthless species with no power! When you were drowning, you couldn't do anything. So, what can you do now?"

Luffy grabbed two discarded swords and brought them forward.

"Because I can't do anything, others have to help me."

Sanji asked, "Hn? He can use swords, too?"

Hanley frowned, perplexed.

"...Um, no. Not one bit." From the moment Luffy stabbed himself in the face with a dirk, he had had very little luck with blades.

Luffy began swinging wildly, no style, no finesse...they may as well have been sticks.

"The hell is he doing?"

Hanley rubbed her face.

"As I said, he can't use swords."

"What is this? You just swing those swords around." Arlong was easily dodging the strikes as if they were nothing. Luffy threw one, the blade glancing off of Arlong's nose. He wound up for the next blow, but the blade snapped off in Arlong's teeth.

"Your teeth will break!" Luffy cried as he spun to add more power to his punch. It landed hard on Arlong's chin, snapping his teeth together with a loud crunch. They shattered, bits of fang falling from his mouth.

"Arlong's teeth! They're breaking!" the villagers cheered.

Luffy shouted, "How can I know how to use swords, idiot?"

"Hanuman," Hanley murmured.

"I don't know anything about navigation!" Luffy continued, "I can't cook! I've never lied to anyone! And I probably don't make a very good spouse, either!"

"Spouse? What is he-" Sanji began.

'Hanuman...you actually know what spouse means?' Make no mistake, she was touched, very much so, but she had no idea he knew the word. Still, Hanley smiled widely.

"I am sure that if I were alone, I wouldn't survive!"

"I can't believe you are that worthless! Your crew must find it very difficult to deal with you; I wonder why they would risk their lives for such a captain." Arlong laughed. "A person with no pride has no business being captain! I ask you again, what can you do?"

"I can defeat you."

"Get him, Luffy-sempai!" Yosaku pumped his fist as everyone cheered him on.

Sanji smiled.

"Ha, good."

"If you lose," Zoro muttered tiredly, "I'll kill you."

"I'll support you from behind!" Usopp was the same, naturally.

"Shut up, you puny human!" Arlong roared, useless teeth falling away as a new set grew in.

"Ah, he can grow his teeth!" cried Luffy.

"Sawsharks can always grow back their teeth, and these new teeth are stronger than the old ones! No matter how many times-" He grabbed his teeth and actually pulled them out of his mouth. A new set immediately grew in, and he quickly pulled those out as well, holding them in his hands. "-no matter when it will be, this is the gift that heaven gave to us!"

Luffy, for lack of a better term, oohed.

"That's so cool!..."

"So, do you understand how great fishmen are? Tooth Gum!" He turned his teeth into make-shift weapons, nearly taking Luffy's face off.

"Stop it!" Luffy grabbed one hand, pressing his right hand shut. However, the other hand was still free and it darted forward. Luffy shouted and blood flew through the air. Hanley nearly screamed herself; she relaxed, however, when she saw that Luffy had shoved one of Arlong's own men to take the blow to his face.

"My...my crew!" Arlong looked horrified as the fishman slumped to the ground. "YOU!"

"I just got a good idea!" Luffy stroked his chin in a satisfied manner.

"You used my crew as a shield! You little brat!"

"You don't have the right to tell me anything."

"So he found a technique to beat that guy?" Sanji wondered.

Hanley sighed, "I can only imagine what he'll do..."

"Tooth Gum!" The attack recommenced, with Luffy jumping about like a deranged grasshopper. He quickly got tired of being on the defense, though, and slipped inside Arlong's guard with a spinning crescent kick to the mouth. Arlong flew back once more, his teeth popping out of his mouth again.

Arlong wiped the blood from his chin in annoyance.

"How many times have I told you that it's worthless to destroy my teeth?"

Luffy plucked up one of set of teeth and popped it into his mouth as if it were a set of dentures.

Hanley, honestly, threw up a little.

"That was his good idea?" the screams of despair came as no surprise to her.

"Hanuman, that's disgusting! Take it out!" Just the thought of sharing the same spit and whatever he was eating...yeah, she threw up a little.

Arlong slashed at Luffy's chest, finally connecting.

"How long will you continue to insult me?"

"Agh! The shark is biting me!" Luffy hit the ground and rolled into a crouching position.

"Stop playing around!" shouted Johnny and Yosaku.

"Who said I was playing?"

"Tooth Gum!" Arlong chased him around, and whatever slight advantage Luffy had had gone. Finally, Arlong's teeth caught him around his middle. Luffy retaliated by biting Arlong's shoulder with his own fangs. Arlong dropped him in surprise, hand going up to his gaping wound. Luffy wasn't faring much better.

"How was that? You got hurt by your own teeth!"

Arlong sneered.

"Oh, those are my teeth, but your jaw isn't strong enough. Allow me to show you the difference!" Arlong's fangs easily sliced into Luffy's arm when the other brought it up to block. It was a nasty hit, but infinitely better than taking such a blow to the neck.

Luffy screamed in pain flailed for a moment. Arlong smirked in triumph before his expression turned to one of surprise when Luffy's left arm reached around and grabbed him by the hair. He twisted and slammed Arlong into the ground hard enough to free his arm. He staggered away and slumped against a giant slab of concrete to catch his breath.

"See? He's fine, Hanley-san," Sanji said. Hanley found herself close to the water's edge, having lunged forward when Arlong caught Luffy on the stomach.

'I moved without knowing it, I guess...didn't get far, though...'

"If he waited for another second, he could've lost his arm," breathed the scarred man.

"A guy like him doesn't have time to worry about that," Sanji answered.

Arlong picked himself up and seemed to consider the situation. With a nasty grin, he slipped effortlessly into the water.

'Oh shit-!'

"Hanuman!"

Luffy hauled himself to his feet, bleeding profusely.

"Don't move, Hanley!"

'I...that tone, he's never used that tone before, and how the hell did he know I was going to―whatever!'

"It's not that! Arlong's in the water!"

"Huhn?" Luffy looked out towards the sea just as Arlong's fin jutted from the sea. "Hanley, that's just a shark!"

Hanley slowly pressed her hands onto her face and bent over. That was it, then; married for a week and widowed at twenty.

"That's Arlong!" Usopp shrieked when she couldn't even find the strength to.

"Oh!...Hey, he went under!" Luffy peered into the sea. "Did he escape?"

Arlong exploded out of the water like a missile, blowing Luffy away with a single, powerful attack.

"...Darts!" Arlong shot straight into the pagoda with a deafening crash.

"Torpedo?" gasped Nojiko.

Luffy landed hard on his head. It was a good thing he was made of rubber. However, he stayed slumped over, twitching and holding his still bleeding stomach.

"That hurt!"

Arlong appeared on the second floor landing and surveyed the damage.

"Ho, he escaped! But no matter how many times he can escape, this hell game will continue. Shark On Darts!"

Even out of the water Arlong was surprisingly fast, using his hard nose as a weapon. Luffy rolled out of the way just as Arlong crashed down. It was a disturbing sight, seeing him buried nose deep in the concrete at an angle.

Hanley cried out, "That is ridiculous!"

Arlong smirked and attacked again with Shark On Darts. Off balance, Luffy could only try to protect his head as Arlong shot past. He landed hard on his shoulder and tried to stand just as Arlong came around for another pass. This time Arlong connected, sending him into the air. Arlong gave out a short bark of laughter as he slipped back into the water again while Luffy was stunned.

"Luffy! Don't just stand there! He went under the water again!" Usopp's shout seemed to jerk Luffy back into awareness and he turned seaward.

"Get out of there, sempai!" Yosaku called.

"No." Luffy stubbornly pushed himself to his feet.

"What the hell are you saying? You're wide open! Get out of there!" Sanji tried to reason with him, but naturally, Luffy wasn't in the mood to listen.

"No!" Luffy dug in his heels and braced himself. "I'll catch him and destroy his nose! Why don't you try that again, little shark?"

"That _idiot_-"

"Woo! Do it, Hanuman! Make sure to stomp on his throat for me!" Well, if you couldn't beat them. "Break it into pieces!"

Luffy bared his teeth in a fierce smile. He widened his stance and held his hands out, palm facing outward.

"Gomu Gomu no Tate!"

"Make him pay! I'm so impressed with you right now!"

"I thought you were about to die," Zoro remarked, barely alive himself.

"I am, but I can't die until I make sure Hanuman's alright. Afterwards, I'll go peacefully."

Luffy grasped the fingers of his left hand and stretched them outward. A moment later, Arlong burst from the water once more, nose heading straight for Luffy's heart. Luffy was blown backwards by the strike, but his rubber shield held. Luffy used Arlong's head as a springboard and jumped off onto the side of pagoda right before Arlong crashed into the building.

"Heheh! I can defeat your technique, now. You can't use that on me anymore." Luffy was clinging to the wall, but he spoke far too soon when Arlong suddenly shot up through the landing, knocking him into the air.

Arlong growled, "You can't escape from me."

"That was just a lucky shot! You scared me!"

"Die!" Arlong kicked off the pagoda for another Shark On Darts.

"Now who's being boring? Gomu Gomu no Ami!" Luffy interlocked his fingers and stretched them into a large net. Unable to change direction while airborne, Arlong sailed right into it.

"You-!"

Luffy pressed his the soles of his feet together.

"The fisherman casts a net, followed by..." Luffy retracted his fingers; with his speed and power gone, Arlong was left vulnerable in mid air. "...a spear!"

The attack hit Arlong in the gut and he slammed onto the tiles, forming yet another crater. He lay unmoving for so long, Hanley started to think that the battle was over.

"Eh, is he dead?" Luffy wondered. Then his expression changed into shock. "His eyes?"

From her position, Hanley couldn't quite make out what happened. She thought they looked a little more bloodshot.

Nami looked alarmed.

"It's the first time I've seen his eyes like this."

Arlong was somehow moving even faster, plucking Luffy out of the air by his hair and swinging him around. It was so powerful that Luffy's body actually became whiplike.

"You're nothing more than a puny human! But you dare to fight a fishman like me?" Arlong threw him into the pagoda with such force it really was a wonder it was still standing. Luffy was perfectly fine due to his body, but he looked more disturbed than anything.

"That was scary! That guy has become reckless!" His eyes bugged out when Arlong made a wild charge at him, eyes still crazed. He stretched his arms and grabbed the ledge above him, pulling himself upward to avoid Arlong's left handed punch. It went straight through the wall. Luffy grinned as he performed a handstand on the sloping roof.

"Missed―huh?"

Arlong yanked his arm back, pulling a giant katana out of the wall. Its blade was nothing like Hanley had seen before, serrated and fashioned to resemble shark's teeth.

"That's Kiribachi!" Nami cried out. A fucking ridiculous sword for a ridiculous fishman. Arlong grasped the handle with both hands and leaped up to meet Luffy on the higher level. The sword came down just where Luffy was standing a second before. He used the saw-shaped blade as a pivot and performed a series of circular attacks, chasing Luffy further up the building. They passed the second story and quickly shot up the third and forth.

"Just how far is he going to chase him?" someone from the crowd shouted as they disappeared into the building.

"Dammit, now we can't see what's happening..." Hanley huffed in frustration when the crashing noises came to a halt. What now? Was it over? Was someone dead? Should they check?

Then, as suddenly as they stopped, there was suddenly a great clamor coming from the top room of the pagoda. A large, wooden desk came flying out of the window and shattered once it hit the ground.

'What the hell?'

"Phew, just a table. That was scary, I though that was Luffy-sempai for a moment!"

"Hey Yosaku, don't you trust Luffy-sempai?"

"What's that? You're shaking too, Johnny!"

The desk was quickly followed by a bookcase laden with various sized tomes, and a table, and a chair, and other assorted pieces of furniture. Whatever battle was happening up there, it was probably the weirdest one yet. Soon after, numerous sheets of parchment came fluttering out of the pagoda as well.

Sanji rubbed his chin in confusion.

"What's going on up there? What's with all this furniture?"

"It seems they're in a serious fight..." guessed the scarred man. Nojiko silently watched the papers flutter to the earth and looked over at her sister.

"I...wonder about that, Gen-san."

Nami was in tears, hand clasped over her mouth as she watched the destruction. Hanley once more got the feeling that she was missing something very important.

"It stopped." Sanji's voice pulled Hanley from her reverie and back to the battleground. She jumped when Luffy's foot shot out of the roof of the pagoda and went high into the sky.

"Hanuman, what are you planning?" Hanley muttered to herself as it continued upward.

"AXE!" Luffy's voice rang from the pagoda as the foot came rushing down. They couldn't see, but they could hear the resulting impact. The pagoda shook, then cracked right down the middle.

'What insane power―oh crap!'

Everyone was screaming as the entire structure started to collapse.

"Arlong Park is falling!"

"This is dangerous, we have to get to shelter!"

"He's still in there!"

At this rate, her heart really wouldn't survive the voyage. Rubber body or no, no one got out of a collapsing building unscathed. Hanley was diving in the water before she could talk herself out of it, or before Sanji or Nojiko could grab her. It turned out it wasn't even safer in there, as the shockwave from the impromptu demolition sent large pieces of debris, and powerful waves were generated from the miniature earthquakes. She dodged a slab of tile only to smack right into a piece of wood. It...figured. The momentum pushed her back quite a bit and she felt herself hit the rocky sand on the sea bed.

'So much for a rescue...serves me right. Oh, Junior.' She motioned him closer and he gently nudged her free of the debris. Once she settled on his snout, he lifted her above water. Hanley wiped her brow and surveyed the damage. The pagoda was history, looking as if someone had taken explosives to it. Luffy was there, perfectly fine (why did she even bother when she always knew better?) and there was Usopp and Sanji and Zoro...Johnny and Yosaku...a squad of Marines heading towards the others...and their ship...

Hold on.

'Marines? Oh, NOW they show up! And they'll probably try to arrest the wrong people!'

"Luffy Junior, can you get me over to their ship?" It wasn't anything special, about midsized with a standard gun deck. The number sixteen was emblazoned on its sails and it was covered in those unsightly seagull designs. It was anchored out in the sea, past the now open gates. If the Marines were here, she'd have to find some way to...

Hanley wasn't sure how a giant sea cow could be stealthy, but somehow he managed it. She slipped in through the hatch, easily sliding over the cannon and landed lightly on her feet. It was empty for the most part, but there wasn't time to hang around. Hanley went to the door and burst through the door...right into an officer. His eyes widened and he shouted in surprise.

"Fishman? B-But-!"

'Um...what?'

She didn't get a chance to set him straight as he started leveling his firearm at her, so she kicked him as hard as she could in the gut. The flintlock went off as he collapsed.

"Goddammit-"

"Hey, what was that?" an alarm went up and Hanley heard a group of footsteps approaching.

'This isn't what I was planning!' Hanley thought as four men appeared around the corner. 'But if they call for reinforcements or something...'

The one in the front began shouting.

"Who are you?"

"Is it a fish-"

Hanley growled. She was tired of being mistaken for fish people and mermaids.

"I'm a snake! S-n-a-k-e! If I wasn't so injured I'd bite you!"

The first one that got to her started to draw his sword, but Hanley grabbed his arm before he could fully unsheathe the blade and kicked his leg out from under him. She lifted her knee as he fell and his jaw connected with the joint with a crack. The other two were just as easy to take out, luckily; she ducked under a wild swing and grabbed his arm. Her palm strike hit his elbow, cracking it in the wrong direction; the third one she didn't bother using fancy crap, settling for a sharp kick to a groin.

The last one didn't look to eager to attack her when he saw number three go down clutching his crotch.

"Damn, my arms feel like they're about to fall off...I know," Hanley grabbed him by the kerchief around his neck, "direct me to the bridge."

Hanley all but dragged him to the main deck, and at his direction took a partially hidden stairwell that led upward into the tower like structure in the center of the vessel. By this time Hanley was breathing heavily; luckily, the mook must have been new as he was too scared to take advantage of her obvious exhaustion. It seemed her scales were good for that much, at least.

"This it?" Hanley asked when they came up to a metal door. The Marine nodded, still sweating. Hanley nodded and tried the latch. "What the...it's locked...must have been the alarm."

'How long has it been? What if the others...'

"Arrgh, whoever locked this door will pay!" Hanley kicked it as hard as she could, leaving a sizeable dent. She thought she heard a yelp, and she _definitely_ heard the cocking of two guns. Hanley blanched and moved quickly from in front of the door.

'Okay, what to do...one more kick should it, and...I'll have to move quick after that. But it hurts to move, much less quick...I'll just have to force it. Okay, here goes.'

Hanley nodded in determination and raised her leg.

"H-Hey, wait!" The Marine screamed as her donkey kick sent the door off its hinges. As an afterthought, she tossed her hostage inside. She dashed in, well, hobbled in, in the confusion and tackled one to the ground. There were only two, thank goodness, so after dispatching one she grappled with the other until she had him in a headlock.

'Okay, this is good, I think that takes care of the skeleton crew left behind. Um, what next...?'

They wouldn't be able to do anything without a ship, so if she at least made it look like she hijacked it (although, technically she may have if the main force was away) or threatened them with it...In any case, they only needed to buy some time anyway.

The guy was still trapped underneath her arm.

"Hey, can you drive this thing?"

"Ugh..."

"Hey, my crew is trouble! Either steer this thing into the harbor, or..." Her threat fell flat, and he actually raised an eyebrow at her. Hanley frowned and rubbed her knuckles on his skull. "Did you know female snakes eat men?"

"You're lying." He didn't sound sure, however. From what she gathered from Arlong, may he rot, was that the racism between humans and fishmen went both ways. How much was true, considering the source, Hanley couldn't say, but the Marine looked nervous, and the others were thrown off by her looks alone. Maybe there was something to it―maybe snakes weren't better off either.

"Why lie? I've taken down your men so easily...and they looked so delicious, a little stringy, but I'm sure with the proper preparation I can make it into a very tender meal."

"I..." He was sweating, now.

"And I haven't had a man in _days_-"

"I'll do it!"

'There's probably some message I could make about judging others by surface characteristics alone and the evils of bigotry, but...'

"Just don't try anything funny. I go for the groin first thing."

Hanley nearly flew off her feet when he whipped the ship around in a way that ought to have been physically impossible. She quickly looked out the bay windows and anxiously waited as they drew closer. It was a tight fit, but the Marine was able to navigate it into the shallower waters of the harbor.

'Okay, next...' Hanley spotted the microphone by the ship's wheel.

"This work?" she asked, causing the man to jump. He nodded uncertainly, as if she was going to change her mind at any moment and start snacking on his testicles. Hanley grasped the receiver and pushed open the window so she could perch on the small ledge. "You guys okay?"

They seemed okay. The Marines had obviously had their asses handed to them. Ha, did those guys even need her?

"There you are, Hanley!" Luffy smiled cheerfully at her, and she couldn't help but beam at him in response.

Usopp stared at her before replying, "What were you doing?"

Hanley blinked and scratched her cheek sheepishly.

"I saw the Marines and got worried about possible reinforcements or arrests, so...I decided to get their ship to buy time. But you're fine, so...I dunno. Hanuman, do you want this thing?"

The Marine with odd mouse ears on his hood all but wailed at that, while Luffy looked her over. He threw his hands up in the air.

"Best. Wife. Ever!"

"WHAAAAAAAT?**"**

Hanley nearly dropped the mic while Luffy stared at them in confusion.

"Huh?" Then he yelped when Usopp started shaking him.

"You're married?"

Hanley frowned thoughtfully and replayed the last several days over in her mind.

"Oh, we never got around to telling you, did we-"

"NO!"

Sanji sputtered, "M-M-M-Married? How can someone like him get-"

"Sanji-kun, by that logic, what does that say about me?" Hanley called playfully, and snickered when he tried to correct himself.

"I...we joked, but..." Nami looked between the two of them before sighing. "That partially explains the complex."

"...Enough with the complex."

Zoro, thankfully, got over his surprise quickly.

"It doesn't really matter-"

"How can it not matter? _Luffy_-"

"Anyway," Zoro cut Sanji off, "any orders about what we should do, captain?"

Nami stepped forward, hefting her staff and kneeled before the Marine that strongly resembled a rodent.

"Before we do that, this is for shooting Nojiko, and destroying Bellemere-san's farm."

"Huh-" he started before Nami's weapon slammed into his face and sent his skidding across the surface of the water.

"Sir!" his men cried in horror. Hanley had no doubt he probably deserved it...but still, she was obviously missing a great deal of exposition, here.

Nami straightened and stared imposingly at him as he struggled to get back to land.

"Thank you, Nami! That was cool of you!" Nojiko smiled in appreciation.

"I still want to kick his ass!" Gen-san snarled.

When the Marine finally made it to pier, Nami crouched down and tugged painfully at his whiskers.

"You have to rebuild Goza Village after you get rid of those fishmen! You don't have the right to touch any of Arlong's money because it now belongs to the villagers! And one more thing..."

"Ow! Ow! That hurts! I will do everything you've said!" he cried pitifully.

"Give me back my money!"

"O...Okay..."

There was the Nami she knew.

Nami dropped him and his men hurried to support him. They started to swim towards the ship. He stopped long enough to turn around and wave his fist.

"You dirty pirates! You'll soon be punished! And that man, Luffy, you're captain, right? You'll get what you deserve! You and your wife!"

"Huh? So we're a pair, now?" Hanley shrugged and tossed the receiver over her shoulder. Luffy Junior circled around to meet her, causing the Marines to suffer another scare. Hanley sighed in relief when he let her crawl onto his snout. She could have fallen asleep and slept for a week then and there. No rest for the weary, however, as Junior carried her to the others and gently let her down.

"I see Luffy Junior's learned his lesson." Luffy nodded and scratched his chin, pleased with his form of discipline.

Usopp shook his head.

"I don't even know what to say...speaking of which, _what are you we gonna do about that Marine? What if what he said was true, what then?"_

"I wonder how he knew that I deserve to become the greatest pirate."

"He didn't mean that," Zoro sighed.

Hanley watched as the Marines pulled out of the area for the time being and looked at the others.

"Hey, answer me two things..."

"What is it?" Nami asked.

"Well, one...what exactly _was_ going on here?"

The others stared at her.

"I was stuck in Arlong Park! I didn't get to hear anything!..." The last bit came out as a whine, but she studiously ignored that.

Luffy sighed, "Ah, what a silly wife I have."

'Oh what is up with _that_ tone?'

"I'm allowed moments of silliness with a husband like you, _honey_."

"Shishishi! Oh, what was that other thing?"

"I was hoping someone would catch me; my legs're giving out and my vision is fading."

"Hanley!"

* * *

Arlong

Arlong paced along the deck in front of his new crew. With Jimbei leaving for the Shichibukai, the Sunny Pirates had officially disbanded. Many fishmen headed for their homeland, but others had stayed, not sure where to go or what to do with themselves. It was impossible to for them to readjust to normal society; even more impossible for them to live in a world where humans could treat them like cattle and be praised for it.

Fisher Tiger was dead, and they could not count on Jimbei.

It was up to him; he would have to lead his brethren. He would continue what Fisher Tiger began. Kadru Handerson could not be found―hadn't been seen in years, so they were alone.

First, however, they would need a foundation. After years in slavery, Arlong had learned one thing: money made the world go round. With money, even humans could be led and enslaved. He must get more money.

Chew and Kuroobi stood by his side as they always had, and Arlong had never appreciated their support more now than he ever did.

"We," Arlong began, "are now adrift. Our captain is gone once more, and for those of us who cannot simply go back to Fishman Island and pretend as if those past years of hell have never happened are now left behind. Jimbei, and he is someone I respect most highly, believes that by joining the Shichibukai he will be able to initiate some form of...reconciliation.

Gentlemen, I must respectfully disagree."

Arlong paused for a long moment to choose his next words.

"I know what we must do. We must build. We are chosen, gifted, _gods_ compared to those pathetic humans. They, in this world, who cannot breathe underwater, who cannot survive its depths, whose bodies are naturally breakable, and they have to rely on _cursed fruit_ to even compete in the natural order.

Why, when we are naturally superior, were we hunted like cattle and treated like the lowest form of mindless animal? This must change, my brethren, a new order must be installed. It won't be easy, and the journey will be long, but I will change it. For now, I will travel to East Blue. That ocean is weak, and the government does not bother much with it. That would be the perfect place to start an empire. I ask you, will you join me in my quest? The days will be long, but I promise you, the humans will have a taste of what we have felt, bled, and died for.

Are you with me?"

And they cheered.

* * *

Krut Hanley

"-so she'll be okay?"

"She will, she's more fatigued than anything."

Hanley cracked open her eyes and glanced over to the side. She was in an infirmary, lying on a soft bed with crisp, white sheets. Luffy was already bandaged and watching as the doctor stitched up Zoro, who was literally writhing in pain.

Luffy kicked his feet and continued.

"And this guy?"

"_He_ should be dead! You are really out of your mind to make this injury even worse! Don't you have a doctor on board?"

"Doctor, hmm, that's interesting. But we have to find a musician first."

"Why?"

"Because a pirates' life is supposed to be fun."

"...I fear for you all."

Hanley chuckled and stretched before sitting up in bed. She felt better, but still ached all over. She hissed when Luffy all but jumped on her.

"You're finally up, Hanley!"

"Yes, yes." Hanley ran her fingers through his hair. "I see you've been as energetic as usual."

"'Course! Don't be so lazy."

Hanley hummed and watched Zoro's operation. She winced in sympathy and threw her legs over the side of the bed.

"Am I clear, Doc?"

"You are; I doubt you'd stay here, anyway."

"Sorry for the trouble."

The Doctor smiled.

"Nonsense. What you have done for us we can never repay. We are glad that Nami has friends like you."

Hanley smiled and looked down at Luffy.

"Well, I'm busting out. Walk with me?"

"Sure." Luffy nodded and allowed her to stand. Hanley's bones creaked ominously, but her legs were strong enough to carry her this time.

They stepped out into the daylight, allowing Hanley to see Nami's village for the first time. It was a small, but nice, place, and the villagers were out and about putting up decorations.

"They're gonna have a celebration! It's going to be great! I can't wait for the food!" Luffy started eyeing the buildings as if he could somehow detect where they were keeping it. Hanley smiled at him.

"It's been a while since we've been to one, remember?"

"Yup. Think we should get some colored powder and water?"

"Maybe...hey, Hanuman?"

"Yeah huh?"

"I..." Hanley wasn't sure what she wanted to say. She examined him closely; he didn't look different now. Not like before when...what was she thinking? She didn't understand herself at all.

"You're thinking hard again."

"Mm...well, it's just, that fight with Arlong," she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "what am I trying to say? Why do I even want to―dammit. Luffy."

That got his attention. She almost never spoke his name unless she was pissed off at him about something, or when she was being serious at the very least.

"You can be infuriating, and sometimes you make me want to pull my hair out. But...you're not a bad husband at all. I've been thinking about what I want lately. If I went home and left you and Ace behind, I think I would regret it for the rest of my life."

"Well, of course you can't leave, Hanley. I married you." It sounded so simple that Hanley could nearly believe it. And maybe it was that easy, but as always her emotions didn't want to leave it that way. Her head said one thing but her feelings went all over the damn place.

"...I wondered if you really knew what marriage means, but I guess I underestimated you."

Luffy nodded and crossed his arms.

"That's fine, Hanley. I wonder why it didn't work with Nami when I asked her."

"...You asked Nami."

Hanley started giggling, and slowly but surely it turned into full blown laughter. Eventually she had to lean on him to hold herself upright. She could only imagine the look on the poor girl's face―oh no, she couldn't breathe! Luffy tilted his head and watched as she nearly killed herself.

"I take it back! I take it all back!" Hanley wheezed.

Luffy blinked.

"What are you taking back?"

"You looked so cool and grown up and...and manly earlier. When I saw you, I..."

"I still am manly."

Hanley started to disagree, but she felt herself pause when she saw the look on his face.

"...You're right, I'm sorry. I wonder why I keep treating you like a kid. Luffy, can you do me a favor?"

"Okay."

"Don't ask anyone else to marry you."

"Oh?"

"Don't 'oh' me. I'm being serious, here. Marriage is serious. You don't marry someone to keep them with you―well, you can, but, hell, do I even know?"

"I dunno, I can't understand what you're saying."

"Okay, then," Hanley hummed and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "I'll put it this way: you're _my_ husband, and you're not marrying anyone else. Got it?"

"Er, got it."

"Good. Now-"

"What about Ace?"

Hanley choked.

"Ace?" Hanley tapped her chin, then she grinned and quickly pulled him into a hug. "Aw, aren't you a dear to worry about your elder brother? It's okay, I'll never forget either of my boys!"

"Hanley, your boobs-"

"When we see him again, I'll pull his cheeks and everything."

"As long as I'm not the only one."

"I miss him, too. Neither of you are allowed to leave me behind, okay?"

"Okay!" Luffy managed to pry himself free and he fixed his hat. "Ace swore to me that he would never die, so I'll promise, too."

Hanley felt relieved hearing those words, even though she knew, logically, that there were many things that would be out of their control. Still, she liked hearing it from him.

"I'll work hard, too." The walk had taken longer than expected, and the sun was starting to set. She could hear the sounds of celebration starting from the village proper.

"Sounds like fun," commented Luffy.

"It does...but, I want to stay out here for a little longer."

"Okay." Luffy plopped down on the ground and leaned back against a palm tree with a sigh.

"Ah, you don't have to hang around."

"It's fine, I'll stay."

Hanley scratched her cheek in embarrassment and slid down beside him.

"Thanks."

The next few days were spent in an exuberant blur, even if she did spend more of her time watching the drunken revelry than joining in. She was joined at her usual table on the third day by Nami. Luffy had, to her surprise, spent a great deal of time with her. Now he was dashing about, doing his best to eat the food stores of the entire village. Nami sat silently for a few moments before speaking.

"I don't think I've thanked you yet, Hanley."

"Thanked me?" Hanley laid her head onto her arms. "It's fine. I believe Hanuman said it best. We're nakama. Granted, I still don't know all the details, but what's important is Arlong and his crew are gone now."

Nami nodded and smiled brightly.

"Yes. Now we can breathe easily. So..."

"So...?"

"You're really married." Nami's expression grew catty.

Hanley looked at her warily.

"Yeah...only for about a week, though. And he sort of dropped it on me out of nowhere."

"Mm. So, why did he ask me?"

"Because he wanted you to stay. That, and he's not all there. At this point I'm starting to think it's a form of insanity."

"As if you can talk."

"Yeah...guess I can't."

"Hm, what's being married like?"

"Well, it's like before, only I have a ring...which you stole."

Nami held up her hands.

"I gave it back, didn't I?"

"Yeah, thanks. But married to Luffy is...interesting. And...I like it, oddly enough. I think I'm really..."

"Really?"

"Er-"

"Hanley! What're you sitting around, for?" Luffy bounced by with his mouth full of food and face covered in crumbs. Hanley stared at him for a long moment and slowly turned her gaze skyward.

"...That's my husband."

Nami snickered, "That's your husband."

Oh well.

"Hey, is that a tattoo? I didn't know you had one! May I?"

"Yes! I'm proud of it."

Hanley gently pressed the skin around the design. It looked like a stylized "s" with a bar running through the middle. She couldn't tell what it was, exactly, but she liked it.

"This is a new beginning for me. Let's work hard together," Nami whispered.

"Yeah, let's."

"I'm going to be a pirate, and I'm going to draw a map of the world. This is my dream. I want everyone here to watch me."

"We will." Hanley yawned and took a sip from her chilled beer. Zoro was nursing his own tankard of alcohol, and Sanji was trying to dance with every woman he saw. Usopp stood on the platform and sang while Johnny and Yosaku danced with wild abandon. If she had a chance, she would thank her grandfather for kicking her out of the metaphorical nest. Now, she couldn't imagine traveling alone. And, little by little, she was growing into someone she wanted to be. It was a good feeling.

The next morning was peaceful―the sun was shining brightly and the sky was clear. It was as good a time to shove off as any.

"We will continue our lives as pirate hunters, so this where we must separate. Thanks for taking care of us," Yosaku said as he and Johnny stood on the cliff with the rest of the villagers.

"Yes. We have to say goodbye now, but hopefully we'll see each other again someday."

Zoro nodded.

"Understood. Good luck to you."

"Thanks, Aniki. You, too."

Hanley was petting Luffy Junior. At first she was reluctant to have him, and now she was sad that he wasn't coming along.

"So you really want to stay here?"

"Mooh." He snuffled her hair and she sighed.

"Oh, he's not coming?" Luffy called.

"No. I think he wants to stay to protect the island...to make up for what he did."

"Wow...they grow so fast."

"Yeah, I miss him already!"

Luffy Junior sniffled, but he seemed to be determined.

"Still, I wonder where Nami is. She hasn't arrived yet." Usopp shielded his eyes from the bright glare of the sun as he peered into the distance.

"Maybe she's not coming with us." Zoro shrugged.

"Nami-san isn't coming?" Sanji shouted at Luffy.

Luffy scowled.

"You tricked me about those fresh ham melons, right?"

'What the hell is he talking about? Melons?'

"She'll come," Hanley stated as she climbed the gangplank. She waved at Luffy Junior. "I know it."

"You sound so sure," Zoro noted.

"That's because I am. See, she's coming up right now." Hanley motioned inland as Nami was running full tilt towards them.

"Raise the anchor!" she shouted as she approached.

"She is running here. What is she thinking?" asked Usopp.

"She said to raise the anchor. Just do it," Luffy ordered, unconcerned.

"Is she going to leave without saying anything to us?" someone from Kokoyashi cried.

"What?"

"Unfold the sail!" Luffy continued.

The villagers tried to reason with her as she ran past.

"Wait, Nami, you can't leave like this!"

"They're leaving!"

Sanji looked a little concerned.

"Is it a good thing to say goodbye like this?"

"Let her do it in her own way." Luffy sounded surprisingly reasonable. Hanley wasn't sure if she agreed, but it wasn't her call to make.

"Nami-chan!" They cried as Nami made an impressive leap onto the stern. "Why?"

Nami landed and lifted up her shirt, causing several piles of wallets to fall onto the deck.

"Hey, my wallet is missing!"

"Mine, too."

"Same here!"

"So is mine!"

Nami grinned and waved a paper bill between two fingers.

"Thanks for the donation! I wish you luck!"

"YOU LITTLE THIEF!"

Hanley could already feel her head throb.

"I'm still going to have to watch my stuff, aren't I?"

"Nami-san. That's so cool." Sanji sent her adoring looks as he gave her a thumbs up. Luffy loved it, of course, laughing as the villagers screamed at them. Their anger didn't last, and soon they were shouting encouragements and well wishes.

"Don't forget our promise, kid!" Gen-san called. Luffy must have understood, as he nodded and held up a hand.

"Goodbye, everyone! See you later!" Nami waved her hands until Kokoyashi grew smaller and soon disappeared in the distance. She sighed happily and swung her arms.

"...This is good. This is the perfect time to set sail."

Luffy grinned and threw up his hands.

"Yosh! Now to Grand Line!"

"Great. Well, I'm going to sleep." Hanley rubbed her eyes and started to make her way below deck.

"Aw, Hanley...always so lazy."

"Oh come on! Just last night you said..." Hanley trailed off when the others turned to look at her. "Oh, what. Now that you know we're married you're going to take everything I say as innuendo?"

Usopp had the grace to look sheepish.

"Sorry, it's still weird. I mean, Luffy's...Luffy."

'To be fair...he has a point.'

"Before that, Hanley, can I have some bacon? It's been a while!" Luffy looked nearly pathetic as he held his stomach as if it had been days rather than half an hour since he had last eaten. Hanley grumbled playfully and veered toward the kitchen.

"W-Why should Hanley-san slave over a hot stove for you? What sort of wife do you take her for?" Sanji nearly started shaking the poor boy.

Hanley coughed.

"I honestly don't mind, Sanji-kun-"

"You can cook for me, Sanji-kun..." Nami even fluttered her eyelashes at him, sending him into spasms of delight.

"Of course, Nami-san! I'll cook anything for you!"

"O-Oi, what about us?" Usopp's protests fell on death ears as Sanji all but raced for the kitchen. Zoro yawned and leaned heavily against the railing.

"It's already gotten so lively..."

"So..." Luffy looked at Hanley expectantly. "Am I getting any bacon?"

Hanley smiled at him.

"I'll make sure."

* * *

Omake: Krut Hanley

"You increased the price again?" Nami complained as she handed over a coin to the carrier gull. "I think it's getting too expensive. Next time, if you increase the price again I won't buy it anymore."

The gull could only coo and take off for its next delivery. Usopp had set up shop on deck, taking advantage of the beautiful weather while Hanley had set up a chair and was enjoying a bit of sun a little ways off. Nami sighed and tapped the paper against her other hand.

"Outrageous..."

"It's just a newspaper," commented Usopp as he worked.

Nami shrugged.

"I read it everyday, so it's a habit."

"So, you don't have any reason to collect money anymore, right?"

"Don't be stupid! From now on, I will collect money for myself! That's why I'm staying with you poor pirates in the first place!"

"Ah, quiet! I'm in the process of developing a new chili pepper marble. If it gets into someone's eyes, he will suffer great pain-"

Suddenly, Luffy crashed into Usopp's work table, sending the chili pepper solution flying into the other's eyes. Usopp shrieked in agony as Luffy rolled into a sitting position and started yelling.

"It's just one tangerine!"

Sanji placed his hands on his hips, not in the mood to hear excuses.

"No! I won't give you anything! Nami-san's tangerine trees will be protected with my own life! Nami-san, I will give my love to you with all my heart."

"Thank you, Sanji-kun." Nami settled on the lounge chair beside Hanley and began reading her paper.

"Don't you at least feel a little bad?" Hanley asked in amusement.

"Hm. That implies that I have done something worth feeling guilty for."

Zoro rolled his eyes.

"You really know how to use people."

'Man, poor Sanji-kun...he's just asking for it, though...'

Luffy simply hopped onto his feet with a wide smile.

"That's okay, I'm in a good mood right now!"

Nami ignored all of them as she scanned the pages.

"The world is in total chaos right now. Gasoline prices are increasing and there's a war...huh?" Some flyers flew out of the paper and onto the deck. Hanley muttered in irritation and plucked one off her back.

"What's this? Wanted posters, looks like." Hanley tossed the paper away and started to settle back down, only to jump right back up when she heard screams. "What, what?"

"Hanley, Hanley!" Luffy was beyond enthused and held up two of the posters. He plopped beside her, forcing her to shift to the side.

"What is it?" she grunted when his back collided with her stomach.

"We're Wanted!"

"We're what?" Hanley focused on the pieces of parchment he was holding up. One had Luffy on it, smiling brightly and waving at the camera.

"Cool!"

"You're adorable!" It was a cute picture, actually. She took it into her grasp and examined it.

"Hanley..."

"Oh, right. Very manly. The testosterone is making me swoon. Oh, thirty million beri! 'Straw Hat' Monkey D. Luffy."

'Too cute, who cares what he says!'

Luffy nodded, accepting her answer.

"Look at yours!"

"Me? What? Why do I get one..." Hanley trailed off as she looked at the wanted poster. "Wait, why do I look so mean?"

She wasn't actively scowling, but she was glaring off to the side at someone or something. Knowing her, that could have happened at anytime. But, more importantly...

"_Man-Eater Hanley_?"

Sanji looked thoughtful.

"Hanley-san does have a fierce air about her..."

"Man. Eater?"

"Don't take it so badly! Look, you're even worth fifteen million beri to offset your 'husband'." Nami, to her credit, tried not to laugh in her face.

"MAN. EATER."

"Huh, his and her wanted posters." Even Zoro had something to say when he would have been better served _sleeping_.

"_**MAN-EATER**_ ...? Who chose this? I'll rip him a new one! Why the fuck would I get a name like this―oh. Oh. Oh no."

Nami's smile widened.

"It sounds like you have an idea."

"I...may have...said something about eating men...and their genitals."

While the boys cringed in horror, even Sanji couldn't suppress it, Nami tapped her chin.

"Ah ha, so it comes out. I wondered how you managed to get that ship into the harbor."

"This is awful! What will people think? My grandfather is going to see this!"

'And Ace, and Shanks, and Ishamon-sensei―oh my god.'

"And look at this! It's all, 'wife of Monkey D. Luffy,' like I'm some generic, female counterpart!"

Zoro nodded solemnly.

"How insulting when you clearly eat men for dinner-"

"Shut up now! It's not funny!"

'No, this isn't funny at all!'

_

* * *

_

To be continued...


	18. Clayface

Oh my goodness, what to say? First, huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, liked, favorited, and supported this little piece of fiction despite the long, long, LONG hiatus. I apologize for taking far too long. Life's been all over the place, but I think I'm at a better place now.

This chapter's a little weird for me, not gonna lie. On top of being ridiculously hard to write, I don't honestly know how I feel about it as it's exposition heavy. A couple of things are explained that are very necessary plot-wise. I've considered what Oda's done as well, but obviously this is AU/AR. Also, I have listened to the feedback I've gotten and I'm breaking this rather lengthy chapter into two parts. I've done it before, but funnily enough didn't do it for my longest chapter to date because I was using the internet at my job and it was...an adventure. In any case, for those who have waited, here is the next chapter!

Thanks so much again,

NV

PS: Last but not least, awesome fanart by ~Lady-Kyuu, lady-kyuu. deviantart. com/ gallery/ ?q=Hanley# /d39t3wg. This was, cough, a good year ago, but I would be remiss in not giving her props. She has great work, check her out.

* * *

_Hanley_

Chapter XIII: Clayface

* * *

Captain Smoker

"Have you ever thought of..._not_ smoking?"

Smoker didn't bother lifting his head, although he did deign to crack an eye. His guest wasn't worth that much effort from him, and he could really care less about sucking up to some punk marine who happened to have a high rank. Smoker always preferred to do things his way, having little use for people who disrupted his pace of things—which was why they assigned him to Loguetown to begin with.

"If you have a problem," Smoker growled, making it clear what he thought about the other Marine's problems, "maybe you should leave me the hell alone."

"What? When I positively delight in your company, Mr. Smoker? Nonsense."

It was even more irritating when some young upstart from Marineford came down to stick his nose in things that did not concern him. The punk wasn't stupid enough to try to take command—in fact, he spent most of his time sightseeing, trying on expensive clothes, organizing karaoke nights, and leaving all the work to Smoker.

This suited the captain just fine.

The punk didn't really give a reason for his presence. East Blue was so pathetic Smoker was more than enough, really, and the only marines that vacationed here were old men who spent their days fishing. Not even the natives returned. So, then, the agenda was most likely a personal one.

'Yet I get stuck with the pompous asshole...out of all the bases in the world...'

"It's really bad for you," the man smiled with seeming gentleness and played with a lock of black hair. "I worry, Smoker. I just had to see the man for himself, and yet I see a cancer patient waiting to happen. Although, to be honest, I have always wondered if Logia users could submit to disease? It is something to consider, but I urge you to think of the example you are setting for your men."

Smoker grunted and gave in to his curiosity.

"So you've heard of me?"

"Haha, believe me, Smoker...I know you. And the day I've been waiting for has finally arrived."

"Hn."

The young man sighed softly and pushed himself onto his feet. He made his way to the window, folding his hands behind his back as he gazed out upon the base. As usual, the men were going through their morning exercises. Tashigi usually led the effort, but she was nowhere to be found this morning. Smoker grunted in irritation and placed another cigar in his mouth.

"Only my mother can tell me what to do, punk."

The other man laughed softly and glanced over his shoulder.

"And she was a saint, I'm sure."

"You're bothering me."

Smoker's eyes narrowed when all he got in return was a blank smile.

"I apologize."

"Get out."

"Not quite yet. Not until I get my sign. In any case, I have already scoured the city and the surrounding waters. It's incredibly boring, you know, doing the same thing day in and day out. You must be at the end your rope."

Smoker growled out, "Sign?" He could ignore the other ramblings.

"You wouldn't have heard of him yet, I don't think, but...I'm looking for a pirate."

"There are plenty of pirates. Take your pick."

"Yes, but I'm looking for a special one in particular."

Smoker fell silent for a long moment, more to enjoy the rich flavor of his cigars than think about what the other man said. He made a mental note to pick up another crate (he was starting to run low).

"So? A special pirate in East Blue? You'll be looking for a long time."

"I also worry about your cynicism. If I recall correctly, a magnificent pirate came from here a long time ago."

"...Hn, and it has been shit ever since. I would know. Who are you looking for? I might have had him locked up already."

The young man smiled softly and chuckled under his breath.

"Well..."

"Captain Smoker! There's a-" The marine grew quiet at Smoker's glare. Bad enough the guy from Marineford didn't have the decency to crawl into some ditch and die; at least he had the authority to tell his own men to shut up. He absolutely detested meaningless panic.

"You can be so cruel, Captain Smoker. Please, tell us what's wrong."

Smoker rolled his eyes when the ensign visibly relaxed.

"Ah, yes, sir. There have been reports that Straw Hat Luffy is in the area and may be appearing in Loguetown."

The young man nodded and stood.

"That, Captain Smoker, is just what I have been waiting for. Thank you, Ensign."

"It's my pleasure, sir." He saluted as the punk finally, _finally_ began to make his leave. "Oh, be sure to look out for his wife. There are rumors she's an inhuman creature that enslaves and consumes men."

"...I'm sorry?" He paused and looked sharply at the recruit. The ensign looked a bit startled at the reaction, but he saluted once more.

"Yes, sir. His wife."

Smoker leaned forward and rested his elbows on his legs.

"It sounds as if you heard something unexpected."

"Yes...but then, a great many things struck me as unexpected over the years..." He took the wanted posters from the ensign's grasp and examined them. A moment later, he smiled broadly. "Ah, I see. I will have some fun after all."

"You are warned: do not damage my city."

"Of course I won't." With a short bow, he spun on his heel and exited through the large doors with a sharp flap of his long coat.

"Hn. And where is Tashigi?"

The ensign jumped and stuttered out a reply, "S-She went out this morning, sir. I believe she was going to drop her sword off."

"Bah."

"But...what of Straw Hat-"

"We will deal with it when the time comes. Besides, I am curious to see how our visitor will fare."

* * *

Krut Hanley

"Oh," Nami murmured in surprise as she took a sip from her cup, "this is actually really good."

Hanley smiled, pleased as she served more green tea. Even someone as hopeless as she was could become skilled in tea making after doing it on a daily basis for ten years. Luffy hummed in agreement while Sanji sighed at her.

"Your beauty and grace grows even more each day! This is the tea of love!"

Zoro rolled his eyes but didn't comment, choosing to stuff his face with onigiri instead. Usopp set his cup on its saucer with a heavy clunk.

"I admit this is a nice change of pace, but really..._doesn't anyone else have a problem with this?_" His shout was emphasized by a timely explosion in the background. The others didn't even blink from their position on the scorched and battered deck of the Marine battleship they just attacked. Well, it was really more of a retaliation, seeing as they were minding their own business before that. Hanley grinned and attempted to shovel more rice onto his plate. The boy really was too skinny.

"I understand, Usopp-kun, I used to be constantly high strung as well. But what choice do we have, seeing as they interrupted our lunch—"

"Is this what I have to look forward to?"

"You are right, though." Nami tapped her chin thoughtfully as she examined the damage surrounding them. "This is getting to be a bit too much. Sooner or later it's going to get to the point where we can't even pass a night peacefully."

It was the fourth skirmish they encountered that week, and if it weren't such an exercise in annoyance Hanley would actually be thankful for the experience. Their current destination was Loguetown, the birthplace of the once great Pirate King and their final stop before the gateway to Grand Line. They had left Arlong Park just a week before, using the time to recover and take stock of their supplies (low on meat, but she didn't expect any different!). For the first time since this insane voyage Hanley actually had a little bit of time to breathe in relative comfort, no longer cramped on dinghies and resorting to swimming with weights on for a change of pace.

However, on that third day from Kokoyashi, a small class Marine vessel intercepted them and attacked. They were easy to subdue, and within fifteen minutes the group moved ahead with little incident. An attack here or there was to be expected given the lure of two (comparatively) large bounties in a single crew. And, to be honest, Luffy hardly looked intimidating or competent.

Then they ran into another ship the next day. And the next day, and then the next. Hanley sighed as she looked skyward, squinting against the too bright sun. The lunch break was nice, but with June nearing it was quickly becoming much too hot, and the stress from constant attacks was wearing on her . Was this what it meant to be infamous? Nami was right, they'd better get out of East Blue before they fucked up and got caught. Still, where were all these Marines coming from?

The only real highlight was that now she actually had some space to study her techniques, even if they were quickly turning into exercises in frustration. Soru she felt comfortable with, even if prolonged use caused her knees to scream dirty, dirty words at her, and could really only be helped by more battle experience at that point. Geppou seemed to be once more out of her reach. She vaguely remembered performing it against Kuroobi, driven by desperation and no small amount of anger. Now, she couldn't recreate the experience if she tried—and tried she did.

"Shit, I'm baking out here…the open sea can be so harsh. Hey, should we get a move on, now?" Hanley's head practically lolled to the side as she checked on her nakama. She hadn't known them long, but she had a really good feeling about them. It was nice meeting new people—and she was sure Luffy agreed. Zoro swallowed the last of his meal was wiping off his blade on one of the downed marines' shirts—didn't looked as if he'd killed anyone, just wounded—and Sanji was already pulling out what had to be his third cigarette for the morning.

"Yeah, I'm done," Zoro grunted.

"Haaaai, Hanley-swamaaaa~!" That was Sanji. Naturally.

Hanley's lips twitched in amusement. The soldier by her foot groaned and she nudged his stomach to silence him. If they started moaning in pain she ended up feeling guilty.

"Oh, am I '-sama' now?"

"Although I admit that I am surprised a man like our captain can obtain a wife," Sanji didn't see, or chose not to see, Hanley choking back her laughter, "I would never dare to question a woman's tastes! Or fail to give her the respect she was due!"

"He's getting weirder and weirder," groused Usopp.

Sanji then turned red and sighed.

"A-And Hanley-sama is still wearing my clothing…"

'The line between funny and creepy is thin indeed.' Hanley scratched the back of her neck and looked upward again, vaguely aware of Nami and Usopp rolling up their large picnic blanket. They had chosen a spot relatively free of soot, craters, and blood—but really, you couldn't be too careful.

The vessels were becoming larger and larger, and this crew wasn't as easy as the last ones. With the way things were heading, it was going to become dangerous. Nami hadn't said much, looking thoughtfully at the marines scattered across the main deck. Whatever gears were turning in her brain Hanley could only guess, so she just left her to it; Hanley knew her strong point wasn't planning or any of that shit.

"There's something odd about this. Don't these Marines look different to you?" Nami asked, confirming Hanley's suspicions. Hanley tilted her head to the side and examined the men closely. She didn't notice anything particularly off…

"At first glance, they do look like Marines, but…." Zoro held up the arm of one marine, showing a circular seal on the sleeve of his now tattered shirt. The red decal looked newly stitched on, compared to the worn state of the rest of the shirt. Hanley blinked in surprise. Okay, she should probably have noticed that. It even looked familiar to her.

'Wait, isn't that!—'

"That's right…most of these guys had these on them, didn't they?" Usopp ripped off one to examine it more closely. "A new organization, do you think?"

"Well, whatever it is, they're really annoying. They're actively hunting us. The closer we get to Loguetown the worst it will get."

"T-Then what should we do? We can't keep fighting like this!"

"Ah? Of course we can. Besides, our captain made it clear he wants to see Loguetown. We'll have to bear with it, somehow." Zoro finished cleaning his sword and sheathed it. It was weird seeing him carry only one. With the recent attacks he had taken to stealing the standard issue sabers, but he never kept them for long.

"B-But…"

"We don't have much of a choice. Loguetown's the only city big enough to suit our needs. We'll just have to be careful."

"I'll protect you, Nami-swan! Oh, is something wrong, Hanley-swama? Are you ill?" Hanley jumped slightly when Sanji addressed her.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, it's nothing."

'I wonder,' Hanley thought as she bent and picked up one of the insignias for her own scrutiny. 'Yeah, I'm not mistaken. Why the fuck…?' She stuffed the armband into her pocket for further examination later on. It must have been some sort of coincidence, but who could come up with that symbol in _this_ place?

"Well, let's turn the ship down and keep on moving! I don't want to chance another fight if there are more in the area!" Nami ordered as she headed toward the rope tying the Going Merry to the Marine ship.

"I hear ya, I hear ya. Hanuman, you 'bout ready? Either finish it or let me have it."

Luffy paused before holding out his half eaten sandwich.

"Oh, you want?"

'What the hell? No! Pay attention!'

"You're a dear, but I'll pass."

"Then why ask?" Luffy looked confused as he stuffed the rest down his throat.

"It's the principle."

"..This isn't one of those girl things, is it?"

"I'm starting to wonder about the quality of advice you were given. C'mon, let's go." Before something else happens.

One would have thought Hanley would know better by now.

"Yup." Luffy brushed off the crumbs from his vest and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Hanley briefly considered getting him a handkerchief, and then immediately cast that thought aside as a bad job. Stick with the battles you had a chance of winning.

Nami smiled and waved at them from Going Merry's deck.

"If we hurry, we should get there by—ah!" Nami screamed and dove to the side when a marine suddenly leaped out from below deck with a loud battle cry. He was swinging his sabre wildly, followed by two of his comrades. Nami was experienced enough to roll with her momentum and bring her staff up to defend before they reached her. Hanley cursed but Sanji and Zoro were already moving to intercept; Sanji literally trampled over one to get off a flying kick at the leader's head.

"How dare you attack Nami-san!"

"W-Wait, don't kill me!" the marine sobbed even as he was kicked into the deck. Zoro neatly disarmed the remaining one—not difficult as the fight had already left him.

He fell to his knees beside the other two, quivering with fear.

"Goddamn you, I told you that wouldn't work against them!"

The one Sanji kicked wiped the blood from his chin and push himself up to his hands and knees.

"B-But it's that evil girl! That witch that stranded us the first time!"

"Quiet!"

Hanley blinked and easily crossed the distance between the Going Merry and the Marine gunship with a single leap.

"Hey, you sound familiar..."

"Mistress Hanley!"

'...God. No. _No_.'

Luffy gasped in surprised.

"Wow, hey! You were part of that Big Nose's crew!"

Indeed they were, now that Hanley got a good look at their faces underneath the standard marine ball-cap. She honestly couldn't recognize them beforehand—their heads were shaved, and the only one with any real distinct features was the man with the unibrow who seemed to like her hitting him a bit too much for comfort. Hanley slowly ran a hand down her face as they threw themselves at her feet, begging for mercy and forgiveness as if she was the living incarnation of Kanzeon. They were going to wish for mercy once she was done, Hanley was sure of _that_.

"What. The hell," Hanley began, trying to keep her temper, "are you idiots doing here?" Now that she thought about it, it was really very strange that they were fighting with the marines. Sure, Buggy was defeated, but that only meant they should have been imprisoned. Hanley's eyes briefly rested on the red insignias on their sleeves before raising her eyebrows in expectation. The one with the Unibrow looked a little sheepish as he answered.

"Er, ever since Cap'n Buggy was defeated by you guys, we've had bad luck—"

"It was terr'ble!" stuttered his crewman, still bleeding from Sanji's attack.

"W-We lost the rest of Cap'n Buggy's body," the last one interjected when it looked like the other two weren't going any faster, "and there were some weird guys in scary tribal paint. We didn't get very far, though, since our ship suddenly starting sinking. Somethin' to do with the keel."

'Oops. Forgot I did that,' Hanley thought in slight embarrassment as she gestured for them to continue.

"So, you really know these guys?" whispered Usopp in the background. Luffy idly picked his teeth, already bored and not listening to their story.

"Yeah, they were with that clown bastard."

Unibrow nodded dejectedly. "We had no choice but to be captured by this really huge Marine ship. Not that we would have escaped even if our ship was at full capacity. But what was really scary was the commanding officer."

"He was a real monster! I know you guys are strong—"

"Ridiculously strong!"

"Although you were far more beautiful, Mistress—" He croaked when Sanji kicked him non too gently in the ribs.

"Shitty bastards," Sanji grumbled. Nami held up her hand, stopping Sanji from dealing out more punishment and took over the questioning.

"There was a really powerful marine? Is he that strong?"

"His strength was unreal!" The former pirate wiped his brow. "Between his power and his crew, we never stood a chance."

"But what else can you expect from someone from Grand Line?"

Now Luffy and Zoro looked interested in what he was saying.

Luffy grinned wildly and crouched down so he was eye to eye with them.

"Someone from Grand Line? And he was really strong?"

"Hold on," Nami sighed. "We need to focus on the important information. How strong are we talking about?"

Unibrow smiled at her nastily.

"A Rear Admiral, _miss_. Didn't know if he had a Devil's Fruit power like Buggy-sama, though. But once he caught us he forced us to work for him or get sent to prison. Said he had plans and we were gonna help him see them through. Ha, now I'm glad I could see you guys again! I'm gonna enjoy seeing you get caught—"

"You can kick him now, Sanji-kun," Nami said lightly as she turned away to process the information.

"You will all die! Long live Rear Admiral Karlo—argh!"

"I see...so these brands must be his mark. But why would someone with such a high rank come all the way out here?" Usopp asked, although the question was largely rhetorical. Hanley fingered the torn armband in her pocket, mulling over it as well.

Her grandfather had told her that, in his travels across the world, East Blue was the calmest of all the oceans, the weakest. He never said what exactly he did, clearly holding a great deal of shame for past deeds, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that was involved in something violent. However, the peacefulness of East Blue waters in itself wasn't necessarily a bad thing, and he had grown tired of constantly fighting when he had proven his strength hundreds of times over. But that meant, of course, that strong opponents, truly strong, were in short supply and the area was constantly overlooked by the central government. But now, there was a Rear Admiral (an Admiral!) skulking about these waters for whatever reason. What was he looking for that he couldn't find in Grand Line? Something special, perhaps?

Well, she wouldn't find the answers here, and she certainly wouldn't get any from these schmucks—they were cannon fodder, after all. Sanji looked particularly gleeful in punting them back onto their disabled vessel.

It was also fortunate that they didn't encounter anything else, the rest of the day proving to be largely conventional. In spite of that, Hanley couldn't get her mind off the insignia. It was surprisingly simple, consisting of a white background with a red spot in the middle, nearly identical to _Hinomaru_. The only difference was that the "sun" was outlined in gold, and within it there were stylized kanji written in black. The design wasn't the issue, but the writing was too... If the others noticed her reticence they didn't comment on it, leaving her to brood over the damn piece of cloth. It had to be coincidence, truly, but there was something in her heart that hoped...

"What do you think?" Nami asked, approaching her later that evening, after dinner was consumed and the dishes cleaned. Hanley jumped a bit in surprise, quickly stuffing the armband in her pants pocket before turning to address her. The movement couldn't have been more obvious yet Nami didn't seem to bat an eyelash at it. Forcing herself to focus, Hanley returned her attention to the issue at hand. Nami hadn't specified what exactly she meant, although Hanley could make an educated guess.

"I think we need to be more careful. The attacks were obviously made by this Rear Admiral Karlo person. I don't know if he has it in for our crew or if he's just taking advantage of an opportunity. A marine using pirates, though...must be some kind of person to keep them in line."

"Mm, through fear and charisma...well, if we're lucky, we won't run into him at all."

"We freaking doomed, aren't we?"

Nami sighed and nodded, pausing to take in the night sky.

"You're not planning something, are you?"

Hanley bit her lip and shrugged, not giving an answer either way. Truthfully, she wasn't even sure what she planned on doing, but she did know that this couldn't stand.

Nami waited patiently, and when it became clear she wasn't going to respond she merely nodded.

"Well, whatever you're doing, make sure it's the right choice."

'The right choice, huh?'

Knowing her luck there wouldn't even _be_ a right choice for her, only bad and not-as-bad-as-the-other-one. Perhaps she was foolish for even agonizing over the issue in the first place. She had made her resolve, hadn't she? She couldn't just change her mind now, and she ought to be ashamed for even thinking about it.

'What's wrong with me? Is this all that it takes?'

"Normally I wouldn't butt in like this; however..." Nami gave her a pointed look. "If there's one thing I learned recently is that it never hurts to ask for help. Fighting alone is just that—lonely."

Hanley and Nami both looked up as a loud crash came from the galley, followed by Sanji's furious (and very colorful) curses. Luffy was propelled through the swinging door a moment later, cheeks puffed out as if they were stuffed full of food. Hanley smiled softly while Nami rolled her eyes.

"How do you put up with him? I couldn't even imagine—"

Feeling unaccountably irritated, Hanley frowned.

"The real issue is whether I'm good enough for him."

Hanley ignored the way Nami's eyebrows shot up in surprise and jumped up to the crow's nest to avoid her response. Zoro blinked at her but went back to his watch with no comment. She knew him well enough to know that he wasn't going to indulge in small talk.

Not wanting Zoro to see her stare over the armband (not that it would make a huge difference), Hanley simply curled up for good, long sulk. Hanley knew what she said to Nami earlier, about nakama and all, but this was _different_. This was so obviously, clearly different. This wasn't something she could share with anyone. Hanley didn't want to be alone, she was tired of it, really, but what other choice did she have?

'I can't tell them anything.'

She was grateful when Zoro didn't say anything to her; it was strangely kind of him to let her spend the night dozing in the crow's nest without hassling her. Still, that didn't stop him form making a parting shot as he climbed down the mast at dawn.

"Don't do anything stupid."

Why the fuck were they convinced she would do something stupid?

Hanley dozed for a couple hours more before being woken up again by a far too energetic Luffy. Hanley couldn't bring herself to feel angry at him, not knowing what today would bring. As childish as he could be, he didn't deserve her antagonism right now.

"You awake? Stop being lazy! We're finally there!"

Hanley smiled wryly and shook her head at him. She ignored his whining and moaning at how sluggish she was moving. So sue her for wanting to drag this out.

The sun stung her eyes as she climbed down to meet them. Sanji beamed at her approach and managed to tear himself away from Nami long enough to bring her a still steaming plate of food.

"Oh, thanks, Sanji-kun," said Hanley, distracting Sanji from shouting at Luffy's tactlessness.

"It's my pleasure, Hanley-sama!"

"So, what's this about Loguetown?"

Nami cleared her throat and motioned to the island growing ever larger in the distance. It was the largest city Hanley had seen in ten years, nearly covering the entire island itself.

"Loguetown is right above the Calm Belt, very close to Grand Line. They call it 'The City of the Beginning and the End'. It's where the legendary Gold Roger was born and executed."

"Oh...wow, really?" Hanley murmured before stuffing her face. Nami shuddered at the mannerless display while Luffy's face became uncharacteristically solemn.

"The place where the greatest pirate was executed..." He hummed thoughtfully before nodding. "Right. I know what I'm gonna do when we get there."

"Oh, that reminds me! Sanji-kun, it's okay if I still use your shirt for the time being, right?" She asked him everyday, regardless of the fact he would never say no to her.

Sanji turned red and adopted a strange expression.

"I don't mind having Hanley-sama wear my clothing!"

Hanley's eyes grew wide and she slowly turned her gaze to her plate.

"...I'm...sure that you don't." Right, she had forgotten about that particular fetish of his.

"Not even married women are safe from this guy..." Usopp shook his head and propped one leg on the railing. "Anyway! This is a great place! A perfect start to Captain Usopp's legend!"

"Before that, 'Captain Usopp,' we also need to take the time to get supplies," Zoro added.

Nami nodded and pulled out a list.  
"Just as I was thinking, so I started a list and each person will be in charge of a set of—"

"Speaking of which: Nami, where the hell's my money?" Hanley interrupted, passing the rest of her food into Luffy's eager hands.

"Oh, that?"

"Yes, that." Hanley's eyes narrowed when Nami didn't answer right away. "Tsunami!..."

Nami sighed and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I still have it, don't worry."

"Why do I get the feeling you wouldn't have reminded me?"

Nami laughed.

"You can be so untrusting!"

"Pfft."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," came the amused reply.

Well, Hanley reflected, the nice thing was that there wasn't the wall between them anymore—no matter how annoying Nami got. Hanley hadn't realized just how deeply Arlong had affected Nami until everything had come to an end. She was more open, definitely, and the air about her was much lighter. The difference wasn't dramatic, but it was noticeable. Hanley, herself, really enjoyed it. Other than an occasional visit to Makino, the past ten years of her life was strictly in the company of males. Normally she didn't mind, but she couldn't count on any of them to go shopping without complaint and the one time she tried to braid Ace's hair he nearly revolted. Honestly, having braids in one's hair didn't make you any less masculine.

"Guilty as charged," Nami replied flippantly as she rolled up her parchment. "Well, that's fine. There's no point in giving these guys a list of supplies. Sanji is the only one who follows directions."

"You mean Sanji-kun is the only one who unquestionably follows your orders."

"You always make me sound so bad, Hanley."

'She should be the one with the Man-Eater title, not me.'

The port itself was pretty impressive in its own right. It took some doing, but they managed to find an open spot and weighed anchor. For Hanley, it was really sinking home just how big the world was; they were still in East Blue, and already Green Harbor couldn't hope to compare. Ships of all kinds were moored at port: frigates, merchant class vessels, sloops, and even a galleon or two on the south end. The Going Merry was the only caravel present, but considering it was an outdated model it probably wasn't so surprising. Zoro lowered the gangplank and the crew headed onto land for the first time in days.

Hanley hadn't seen a proper skyscraper since she was in Japan, but Loguetown was the first city she saw here that came even remotely close. Apparently the capital city in Goa was also pretty decent, but Krut Thai made no secret of the fact that he hated that "godforsaken den of gilded sin and filth." They approached the gateway, each of them absorbed in taking in the sights. The street before them was clogged with people of all types and lined with various shops and open air cafes. Hanley could practically feel the berri burning in her pocket. The types of stores they must have here...! Hanley was starting to get a little excited before she remembered what she had to do.

At that point her burgeoning mood plummeted.

"Wow, what a big city it is!" Luffy cheered. He paid no mind to the amused looks he got from passerby as he gaped at the tall buildings.

"So, the pirate era began here, hm?" Sanji ran his fingers through his hair before going right for his cigarettes.

"It's definitely decided. I will go to the execution ground!"

"So we're splitting up? In that case, there must be a lot of different types of food here. I better go stock up."

"I'll go and buy some tools!" Usopp chimed in as his eyes gravitated towards one of the shops.

Zoro looked around and shrugged.

"I need to buy something, too."

The moment he spoke those words, Nami perked up immediately.

"I'll lend you some money, only three hundred precent interest-"

"Tsunami!..." Hanley sighed when Nami only grinned playfully at her. Well, she wasn't going to get in the middle of that. Hanley mentally counted her funds; she didn't want to be indebted to the resident loan shark.

"Yahoo! I simply can't wait!" Luffy started dashing down the main road, smiling widely.

"Ah, wait! Don't just run off on your own!" Usopp called. When he didn't so much as pause, Hanley's eyebrow twitched.

"Hanuman!" To her surprise, he actually skidded to a stop and looked back.

"Yeah?" Luffy answered, perplexed.

Hanley rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"You can't just run off like that!"

"Oh, that's all?" Luffy tilted his head, now clearly wondering why she stopped him over something so unimportant. "Well, why not? We'll see each other later, won't we?"

Hanley twitched and awkwardly cleared her throat.

"I...yeah."

"Okay—" he replied as he started to turn to race off again.

"W-Wait!" Hanley yelped in panic. She sounded so panicked the others stared at her, but she was too busy trying to get her racing heart under control. She didn't even really know why she stopped him. And as the silence began to stretch, she also had to say something before they got suspicious.

"Nothing," she laughed with forced cheer, "I...forgot what I was gonna say. Lost my train of thought. You have fun, okay? Don't get into too much trouble."

Luffy stared at her for a moment longer—then he nodded and smiled brightly.

"Yosh! I'm off!"

Once he disappeared in the crowd Hanley turned to the others smiled.

"So, we're separating?"

"Ye—s," drawled Zoro, eyeing her suspiciously. What Hanley would have given for less perceptive nakama. It'd make things easier for her, at least. "You're acting—"

Hanley interrupted him before he could finish his accusation. She didn't want him putting words to it. It's not like anything was going to happen, right?

Right.

"I'm not acting like anything. Don't let Tsunami fleece you, okay, Mr. Zoro?"

"Oi!"

Hanley ignored him as she blended into the crowd. It wasn't difficult getting directions (it was a straight shot down the main road anyway), and she was assured that it was a ten minute walk at the most. It didn't make her feel better, but did give her time to drag her feet and brood a bit more. What was she doing being all angsty anyway? It could all be nothing and she could be working herself up for no real reason (like she usually did). Hanley briefly wrung her hands and her eyes narrowed when she realized she had reached her destination already. She took the piece of fabric from her pocket and marched up to the marine standing guard at the entrance to the base. He didn't so much as budge at her approach—not until she held up the armband. He jerked noticeably when he saw it and started to draw his weapon.

"Rear Admiral Karlo. Take me to him. _Now_."

* * *

Captain Smoker

"I don't really think you're in a position to bargain, Mr. Buggy."

"It's _Captain—_"

"No, no it's not. You need a ship and a crew to be a captain, Mr. Buggy—I destroyed that eyesore of a ship (which was already sinking) and I have your crew. They belong to me. _You_ now belong to me. Please understand your position."

Smoker puffed on his cigars, already uninterested as his annoying Grand Line guest interrogated his most recent prisoners. The longer the punk stayed here the less he liked him—and that was impressive, considering he hated the little pest. While Smoker could certainly agree that the weaklings were good for little else, willingly associating with such scum, willingly recruiting them, was far more than even he could overlook. He was surprised the higher ups didn't bitch about the Rear Admiral's practice of using pirates as his slaves, but he supposed that was one of the perks of being an admiral, even the lowest ranking one.

Buggy (who was far less impressive than Smoker figured he would be) snarled and struggled against his restraints. Karlo tilted his head to the side and watched him wriggle fruitlessly for several long seconds before sighing.

"Must you be so stubborn? Your companion over there was so much more...agreeable with me."

Buggy flinched and glanced over at Alvida's prone form. Karlo noticed the look and smiled blankly at him.

"Oh, she was just like you at first—spouting out insults waving that silly little club around as if she was actually dangerous. It was so annoying, someone as ugly as her actually thinking she could approach me...ignorant bitch. It felt good slapping her face around. Now she'll do anything I say. Do I have to be rough with you, too?"

Buggy growled and his face fell.

"Fine."

"What was that?"

"I said 'fine', you sick, marine bastard!"

Karlo nodded and patted Buggy's cheek.

"You made the right choice. You really didn't want to see the alternative. Besides, I'm only going to ask you to do something you would have done anyway."

"Yeah? What?" Buggy grunted. Karlo pulled two sheets of parchment from his breast pocket and held up one.

"You see this?"

Buggy's eyes bugged out and he snarled outright.

"That rubber freak! I'll kill him."

"Yes. Yes you will."

"Huh?"

Smoker rolled his eyes and stomped on the remains of his smokes before pulling out a new pair.

"Oi, not that I really give a damn, but he doesn't seem particularly smart enough to pull off something like that."

Buggy bristled and shouted, "Say that to my face! I'll kill that little bastard! It's his fault this happened to me! He will—"

"Yes, yes, yes...he will rue the day he met you. Indulge in a cackle or three if you really feel like it. But all I want you two to do is execute him. I'll even let you keep the bounty on his head and let you go."

"What's the catch?" Buggy's eyes became shrewd at that point. Smoker briefly considered the idea that he may not be as hopelessly stupid as he first thought.

Karlo gave another blank smile and held up the other wanted poster.

"All I want is her. And this guy is obviously in my way."

"That little shit, huh..."

"I didn't get to be Rear Admiral by being nice...not at my age. You waste this man and I will personally ensure that you can retire a very rich man."

Buggy's eyes became greedy then, as all sense left his head at the thought of riches.

'Hmph, what a weird smile. It never reaches his eyes,' Smoker thought as the other marine stood and carefully folded the wanted poster. He turned when the door opened and a tall, muscled man with dark brown skin and bright blue hair entered the holding cell. He wore only a boxer's shorts, jet black, and boots. His gloves weren't the traditional boxing gloves but slimmer and plated, covering as far as his forearms.

"Ah, just in time, Cassius. I was waiting for you to arrive. Was there any trouble?" Karlo strolled up to the man and patted his shoulder in a friendly manner. Cassius' face didn't so much as twitch—didn't even blink as he shook his head in response. Smoker sneered softly. Creepy ass crew on top of that.

"N-o. N-o trou-ble, Re-ar Ad-mi-ral."

Smoker raised an eyebrow at the mechanical speech but Karlo all but beamed at the man.

"Excellent! You're always so reliable. If everything has been taken care of then I can rest easily knowing that it will be safe hands. You are so wonderfully reliable."

Cassius didn't answer (or, fuck, _move_), but apparently that was good enough for the Rear Admiral as he gave another one of his false smiles and slapped the man's back.

"One last thing. Why don't you let these fine people out of their shackles and release them into the wild. Buggy, Alvida, why don't you go have some fun?"

Smoker snarled nastily, his temper flaring.

"I thought I told you watch yourself in my city?"

Karlo glanced sideways at him as if he just remembered Smoker existed. It took all of Smoker's self-control not to flatten the wretch on the spot.

"Oh, yes, that's right," Karlo hummed softly, "it's a good thing I outrank you, isn't it?"

"You little—"

"Now, now. If you get angry it won't be good for your health. I know what I'm doing. Why not take this opportunity to relax? If you're a good boy, I'll even put in a good word for you at the main office."

Smoker grit his teeth, exhaling thick plumes of smoke from his mouth and ears. Karlo's amusement actually seemed genuine as he slipped past Smoker, leaving Cassius to release Buggy and Alvida. He only paused when a Chore Boy approached and whispered in his ear. Smoker watched as Karlo tensed and then smirked.

"Oh my, oh my...can this day get any better? Our deal still stands, Mr. Buggy. Bring that little asshole's still bloody head to me and you will be set for life."

"Heh," Buggy mumbled, "you sure you're a marine?"

'You would be surprised.' Smoker shoved past Cassius, mind racing. 'You would really be fucking surprised.'

"I was once a 'pirate', you could say; however, I soon found...well, that's in the past. Don't fuck up, Clown." With that, Karlo took his leave.

"Where is Tashigi?" Smoker snapped, venting his frustrations on an unfortunate underling.

"Ah! Er, she is at the weapons' shop—"

"Again?"

"I-I understand that she is picking up her sword this time after dropping it off."

"Hmph! How shameful. She can be such a disgrace."

Still, Smoker was curious; he needed to know what that annoying little bastard was planning. He followed Karlo at a discreet distance, hands jammed deep into his pockets. He was surprised to see the Chore Boy gesture Karlo inside one of the nicer waiting rooms and his eyes narrowed in suppressed fury. That fucker was just using his men and base like he fucking owned it! The Chore Boy jumped and quaked a bit at this approach (as he goddamned _should_ have); to his credit, the boy managed a decent salute. Smoker didn't acknowledge it, only turning his glare through the round window in the door. Karlo took a seat opposite of his guest, and—

"What is the meaning of this?" Smoker recognized her immediately—not surprising, the woman stood out far too much.

"We...we were...on Rear Admiral Karlo's orders..."

Smoker had to adjust his opinion. Tashigi may be clumsy, and she may be flaky, but she was a far cry from Karlo. Smoker watched as the woman (he couldn't remember her name, it wasn't worth it with that meager bounty of hers) placed something on the table between them. Karlo gave another one of his "smiles" and the woman looked surprised. She then covered her mouth and all but leapt across the table at him, embracing him tightly.

Smoker hummed thoughtfully as he continued down the hallway, having seen enough. He would follow Karlo's little puppets and they should lead him right to Straw Hat. That wife of his didn't look to be going anywhere.

'Still, what the hell is going on?'

* * *

Roronoa Zoro

Zoro's main concern at the moment was locating another pair of swords. He had wandered around the streets of Loguetown so far without much success, only encountering fashion stores and curio shoppes. The few swords he had come across were the cheap, imitation kind that were more for decoration than actual battle. However, Zoro was nothing if not patient when it suited him. Loguetown was the place where pirates stocked up on supplies. There had to be a weapons store; he just needed to locate it.

He turned down another random street with no thought to his current location. He figured he was near the harbor, but that had been a good while ago. Zoro was about ready to call this street a wash when a commotion to his left drew his attention. Two large, swarthy looking men had approached a young woman holding an object wrapped in cloth, brandishing their cutlasses in her face. To her credit, she looked calm, and Zoro paused briefly to watch, more curious than concerned.

The larger one with pigtails smiled menacingly.

"Looks like you aren't with that monster today!"

"Our captain was put in jail because of you! What do you think we should do, huh?" the other one added.

"You haven't learned your lesson?" the woman asked. "I will be honored to fight you, then."

Her words caused them to break into laughter.

"What did you say? You want to fight us?"

"That's good!"

With no other warning, they suddenly lunged forward to attack. Zoro cursed softly and his hand started towards his katana. He was still a little sore from the fight with that octopus and his operation, on top of his body being aggravated by those annoying marine attacks, but those low class criminals shouldn't be any trouble.

"Prepare to die! And tell that monster that our dream of going to Grand Line was destroyed because of him!"

The onlookers began screaming when they realized too late just how serious the dispute was, and just as Zoro was about to rush forward to intercept, he paused when he noticed the woman's stance.

'No openings, properly balanced...and that package of hers-'

She slipped past them in the blink of an eye, katana suddenly in her hands and slashing across the bodies of her much larger foes. It wasn't anything flashy; instead, the style was neat and efficient. The hapless pirates fell to the street unmoving, and the entire scene would have been impressive had she not stumbled and fell flat on her face before his feet.

'And what was that?' Zoro thought as her glasses clattered across the stones.

The crowd began to cheer and laugh in relief once it became apparent that the fight was over.  
"That's so cool!"

"You're very good, miss."

"Eh?" she muttered, hands patting around her. Zoro knelt and plucked the square frames off the ground.

"Here. Are you looking for this?"

"Ah! Sorry, and thank you very much." She turned her face upward to smile at him.

'No—it can't be!'

Zoro wanted to simultaneously run away and collapse on the ground beside her. That was Kuina's face staring back at him, like some cruel specter from his past. A day didn't go by when he didn't think of her, the person who left him so suddenly with only their shared dream and a sword to remember her by. The woman even had her _hairstyle_. Zoro couldn't even stutter out a response, only getting to his feet and pushing his way through the crowd. The woman called after him in surprise, but Zoro pretended he didn't hear her.

"She is too similar! Almost the same person, and she's a swordsman on top of that." Zoro stuck his hands in his pockets and continued on his way. "There are many strange things in this world. Maybe I'll never see her again. Scary..."

He wiped his forehead, a little surprised that he was sweating so profusely. He didn't think he'd be rattled so badly. Zoro wandered around, trying to push the encounter out of his mind. The sun slowly crept higher in the sky as he spent more of time calming down than looking for another sword. He turned another corner and sighed in relief. The words "Arms Shop" jumped out at him from a large sign on a nearby building. If anything would take his mind off of recent events, it would be swords. He made a beeline to the entrance and strolled inside. Weapons of all kinds were displayed on the walls: axes, polearms, naginata, kunai, daggers. There were even models of flintlocks in one cabinet. Zoro, of course, only had his eye on one thing.

"I wanna buy some swords," he called out, grabbing the store owner's attention. He was a balding, older man, dressed in a simple, blue yukata.

"Welcome!" the man greeted. "Please feel free to choose whatever you want. An old, tested sword? A new sword? We have everything you need since we've been in this business for more than two hundred years."

Zoro nodded and approached him, slapping his money on the wooden countertop.

"I got one hundred thousand beri and I want two swords."

"One hundred thousand beri?" The store owner paused and sighed, leaning on one hand. "So, it's gonna be fifty thousand beri per sword, eh?"

Zoro shrugged.

"I don't care. Just give me whatever you got. I don't have much money." Zoro was well aware of how expensive a decent sword would cost him, and the money Nami had lent him earlier wasn't going to cut it. It was that reason why his previous swords had shattered in the first place. But his style required three, and beggars didn't have the luxury of being choosy.

Zoro blinked in surprise when the store owner suddenly motioned towards his haramaki, his entire body shaking for some odd reason.

"Wait! Can I take a look at your sword?" he asked, voice also trembling.

"Something wrong?" Zoro obligingly removed Kuina's sword from his belt and gave it to him. He watched as the other man gaped at the sword as if it held all of the secrets in the ocean. The store owner suddenly cleared his throat and placed it carefully on the counter.

"This is just a regular sword-"

Zoro grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him forward, irritated at the way he talked about his treasure.

"What'd you say?

"I'm just kidding!" He cleared his throat. "I have a good deal for a poor person like you. This sword isn't an ordinary sword, true, but it also isn't a famous one. I will buy this for two hundred thousand beri. So, you will then have three hundred thousand beri to spend on three swords."

Zoro could feel his eyes narrowing. He admitted he wasn't the smartest person in the world, but even he could tell that something was going on with the man.

"What was that?"

"Er...how about five hundred thousand beri? Oh, but you seem to drive a hard bargain. How about six hundred and fifty thousand?"

That was quite a bit of money; however...

"I won't sell this sword to you no matter how much you will give to me."

"Ah! This sword! Isn't this—?" Zoro flinched when the woman from before all but dove over the counter.

'What is she doing here? I thought I escaped her!'

"This is Wado Ichimonji, right?" She pushed her glasses on top her head and she brought the blade closer for a better look. "What a beautiful sword!"

The store owner laughed, looking suspiciously nervous.

"It's just the name of this sword, but it's not a famous one-"

"Not famous? Are you kidding? This is one of the twenty-one great grade swords, Owazamono! See this? This sword is worth more than ten million beri!" The woman whipped a well worn booklet from her back pocket and held it up for Zoro to see. Zoro blinked, not particularly interested in the price. He had already known the sword was highly valued, being the named sword of his sensei's family, but he never bothered to find out how much.

The store owner slammed his hand on top of the counter, furious.

"Tashigi! You foul mouth! You've ruined my business!"

"Eh? Ruined your business, Ippon-Matsu-san? Did I say something wrong?"

'Only because you revealed him for a fraud...not like I would have sold it anyway,' Zoro thought. 'And her name's Tashigi, huh?...'

The woman, now Tashigi, continued, "It's the first time that I've seen something this beautiful, so I..."

"You've come to get back your Shigure sword, right? Here, I finished cleaning it for you!" Ippon-Matsu interrupted. He stormed to the back room and returned a moment later holding a katana. He tossed it to her, causing her to stumble about and fall into a rack of swords.

"Ah!"

"Why do you have to fall down there? Clean it up and get out of my store!" Ippon-Matsu snapped and sent a glare Zoro's way. "You are very lucky! Like that girl said, this is a very good sword. Sadly, it belongs to a person who doesn't know its value. What a waste!"

His angry shouting seemed to grow even louder as he gestured wildly towards the corner of his shop.

"Fifty thousand beri swords are at that corner! Why don't you go ahead and choose two of them?"

"Geez, what a temper..." grumbled Zoro as he headed towards the back.

"Wait! You are the person I met just a while ago!" Tashigi cried as she picked herself off the floor. "You must love swords, right? You have three swords just like one of the pirate hunters."

"Pirate hunter?" Zoro asked as he looked at what amounted to a sword bargain bin.

"Don't you know him? A man named Roronoa Zoro."

At this point, the unease he felt at her appearance was giving way to amusement. His lips were twitching as he examined another katana.

"I often hear of him," he managed to say.

"He is in East Blue, but he's a bad person!" Zoro coughed to hide a guffaw at her words. "He uses his swords for money. I can't forgive him."

"...I see."

Zoro didn't particularly care much for rumors, but it was interesting to hear what people said about him now and again. He supposed from an outsider's point of view, he did seem to be a mercenary—he could say, with no arrogance, that his reputation was fearsome and often preceded him.

The woman sighed sadly and looked at her katana.

"Why have bad people become so much stronger these days? All of the famous swordsmen have become pirates or hunters, and all the best swords belong to them! The swords are crying, you know?"

"That's an interesting way to think about it." Zoro set the sword he was looking at down in the bin. Another failure. "Everyone has his own reason of living, right? As the times change, the situations change as well."

Ippon-Matsu appeared to have calmed down enough to add his two cents.

"I love to welcome those sorts of customers, you know? In the past, everyone who was going to Grand Line would stop at my store. But after that evil has come to this town, all of my customers are gone."

"Smoker-san is not evil!" she protested.

"People who obtain power from Devil's Fruits are devils, simple as that!"

"Devil's fruit?" Zoro asked, suddenly interested. Was he the Rear Admiral they had to look out for? The woman shook her head angrily and held her sword close to her chest.

"No matter what happens, I will use Shigure to practice and get stronger! Then I will travel around the world and get those swords from bad people! I will risk my life!"

Zoro didn't agree with her philosophy, but he could only approve of her attitude.

"So, do you want to get this sword, too? It's Wado Ichimonji, right?"

He was once again amused as she waved her hands and backpedaled slightly.

"D-Don't misunderstand me! I don't want those swords at all. My point is that I don't want those swords to be in the hands of bad people."

"Ho...fair enough." Zoro returned his attention back on the sword bins and grasped the hilt of another sword. His eyes widened as he pulled it free from the bin. This feeling...Tashigi's cry caught his attention once more.

"This sword—it's in the book!"

She examined the slightly worn looking red sheath.

"A real one! This is Sandai Kitetsu!" the woman gasped and thumbed through her manual as Zoro slowly pulled it from its holster. He frowned thoughtfully as he examined it.

'This one...this one is special.' He could feel a great sense of unease as he held it in his hand. 'You like to cause problems, don't you?'

Tashigi called out to Ippon-Matsu, "Mister, are you sure that this sword is only worth fifty thousand berri?"

"Yes..." he replied, voice strained.

"But that's impossible! It's one of the Wazamono Grade swords! The price must be around one million berri! It's third in the Kitetsu series, after Shodai and Nidai Kitetsu—"

"I can't sell that sword to you!" Ippon-Matsu snapped.

"Why not? It's in the bin, isn't it?"

Zoro raised it higher, eyes drawn to the incredibly sharp edge.

"A cursed sword, right?"

"You knew?" asked the store owner in surprise.

"No, of course not. But I can tell."

Ippon-Matsu seemed to consider his answer carefully.

"The Kitetsu swords are all incredible blades, but they are also cursed. Every swordsman who has used Kitetsu has ended up in a bad way. I do not say this lightly: there is no one in this world who can use them. Even if the person is ignorant of their history, they die just the same." He sighed heavily and his shoulders sagged. "I, too, want to get rid of it; however, I am unable to. Perhaps I have some of the curse as well."

Horrified, Tashigi bowed deeply.

"I...I am so sorry! I didn't know that it was a cursed sword-"

Ippon-Matsu grumbled tiredly, "Then don't act like you know everything, girl. There's a lot more to knowledge than picking it up in books."

While Tashigi nearly bent herself in half in apology, Zoro examined the blade in his hand. It was practically vibrating with malice—Zoro had the feeling that one slip, one hint of weakness and it would bring him to ruin. He had never felt such a thing before. Kuina's sword, Wado Ichimonji, had never given him a bit of trouble and was full of good intent, as if it could sense what he was trying to do. Zoro didn't need a book to tell him that the Waza-whatever swords were special. This was the sort of sword he was looking for, one that could take the beating he typically put his weapons through.

"I just had a good idea. How about this? Let's try to see what's better: my luck, or its curse?" Luck was just as important in battle as skill, and if he couldn't overcome some little blood curse then his future was pretty much set. He tossed the blade in the air, end over end. "If I lose, my destiny will end here."

Zoro held out his left arm in the path of the sword and closed his eyes. He could hear the sound of the metal slicing through the air as it descended. Tashigi and Ippon-Matsu were screaming at him in the background, but Zoro forced himself to tune out all unnecessary noises. He could feel Sandai Kitetsu come closer and silently dared it to slice off his arm. After all, what swordsman would he be if he let himself be dominated by a blade, even a Kitetsu? All too soon he felt the gentle breeze of the blade graze his arm; it hit the wooden floor and sank practically to the guard. Zoro nodded, satisfied.

"I'll take it!" He ignored Ippon-Matsu crashing to the floor and pointed at Tashigi. "Hey! Can you pick one more for me?"

Despite what Ippon-Matsu said, he felt he could trust her judgment. Zoro slid Sandai Kitetsu from its place in the floor and swung it once. Incredibly sharp—it really would have sliced right through his bones.

'It doesn't matter what you've done in the past; you are mine now.'

He noticed Tashigi staring at him and he raised an eyebrow.

"Well?"

"Oh, right! Sure." She sighed in relief and started to turn back to the barrels, but Ippon-Matsu suddenly leaped to his feet.

"Wait! Don't go anywhere!" he shouted as he raced to a back room.

"Hn, strange guy," Zoro commented and he sheathed Sandai Kitetsu. Tashigi nodded weakly and fell silent, studying him. Zoro was beginning to grow twitchy at her staring when Ippon-Matsu returned, carefully carrying a standard sized katana. He set it on a holder and crossed his arms.

"This is Yubashiri."

Zoro walked up and examined the black handle and sheath, admiring the delicate gold inlays.

"Yubashiri, hm..."

"It is a very sharp sword, I can guarantee that. This is the best sword I have—a family heirloom."

"You do realize that I can't buy it, right?"

"Just take it. Don't worry about the money." At the surprised look on Zoro's face, the store owner continued. "The Kitetsu is free as well. No, again, don't worry! Think of it as an apology for trying to trick you. It is not often that I meet a true swordsman; in fact, it has been too long a time. The sword will choose its owner, this is what I believe. And if I am right, you will truly become an amazing swordsman. I wish you luck."

Well, that was good enough for him.

Zoro nodded respectfully and tucked his new blades in his haramaki. The Yubashiri felt light and very responsive, and Sandai Kitetsu had finally seemed to settle down. Zoro left the shop soon after, pleased with what he had accomplished in such a short amount of time.

"Ah, when I have three swords, I feel much more secure." Now all that was left to do was to find a way to spend his time until they met again.

* * *

Krut Hanley

The cafe he chose was a nice one, though not much to her taste. Hanley placed her hands on the pristine white table cloth, focusing on the contours of her fingers and the thin scales that lined her knuckles and the back of her hands. She had to focus on something; otherwise, she'd probably dissolve into an emotional mess. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Natsuhiko..."

"Yo, Han-chan." he grinned as he plopped down in chair. He twisted to motion to the waiter carrying over a large tray laden with food.

"I...you..."

"Oi, oi, this is a reunion after a decade! Is that the only thing you can say to me?" He dug into his breast pocket and pulled out a wad of berri. "It's all on me, everything. You still like seafood, right?"

"Natsuhiko...!" Tears began to well up in her eyes once more and sobs started building in her throat. The relief she felt couldn't be properly put into words. She didn't know what to expect when she waltzed right up to the Marine Base in spite of her recent bounty, but this was far more than she expected. For ten years she thought she was alone here. She had to make new friends, new connections, but always in the back of her mind she had thought of the place she had left behind; or, perhaps it was better to describe it as torn from? Hearing his voice now was nothing like she imagined it to be. It was much deeper, naturally, but it was hard to describe how good it felt to hear _her_ language again—the inflections, accent, other distinct markers. She found herself slipping back into the dialect she thought she had long forgotten.

Once again Hanley found herself surging forward and nearly tackling him right off his chair. She buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms tightly around his torso.

"Oof! Man, what a strong grip you have-"

"Natsuhiko! I...I thought I was alone and it's been so hard and I was so afraid I wouldn't see any of you ever again or that you might have died oh god!..."

"Hanley..." he murmured something under his breath and she felt his hands rest on her head and her back. His palms and finger tips were surprisingly soft. He was also incredibly warm, nearly hot to the point of feverish, and she could smell a distinct hint of almonds on his clothes. There wasn't anything familiar about him. All she had was his name and his speech and his knowledge of her. If he hadn't been so obvious with his insignia (really, the Japanese flag plus the kanji "Summer Boy" wasn't that creative, but it was a beacon for those who knew what to look for) she wouldn't have even bat an eyelash if she passed him on the street. None of that mattered to her, however. It _was_ Natsuhiko, even if they were separated by ten years' worth of experiences.

"Are you going to cry on me the entire lunch? Shoho, not that I mind, but I'd rather not feel this good in public." His words shocked her right back into the present and she quickly propelled herself from him.

"D-Don't say that! You've become perverted in ten years! A pervert!"

"I'm an adult man with needs, don't be so judgmental!"

'I-Is this the talk of a healthy man in his prime?...I don't remember Ace acting like this...'

"I-It's not being judgmental! We're in public!"

"So you wish to make it private?"

Hanley could feel her left eye twitching as he nodded to himself in satisfaction.

"It seems like a shame that I'll have to kill you when we just met again."

Natsuhiko quickly held up his hands and gave another one of his charming smiles.

"Please don't get angry. You always got angry so quickly!"

"Hmph! You say that, but I can tell you've become an incorrigible womanizer."

"Nonsense! You're the only woman for me."

Hanley angrily stuffed a piece of fish into her mouth.

"Pull the other one."

"I'm not lying." Something in his voice pulled her up short once again. She managed to meet his earnest gaze for several long seconds before she had to look away in embarrassment.

"I-Idiot..."

Hanley kept him at arm's length as she looked him over. He was surprisingly big for a Japanese native; not quite the size of Don Krieg or Arlong but just managing to pass her in height. His black hair was shaggy and fell to his ears; it reminded her a little of Sanji's, only without the curly brows and she could see both of his brown eyes. He was pretty good-looking, she allowed him that much, and he wore his dark red pinstripe suit well; although, given his behavior, she'll keep that particular observation to herself.

"You're giving me such an intense look. You'll make me blush if you keep that up." Natsuhiko seemed to pick up on the slight admiration as he picked up his teacup. "I'm glad, though. You've gotten so pretty, Han-chan..."

"Oh stop that, Natsuhiko! I just never...well, I never expected to see you here."

He nodded slowly as he considered her words.

"Yeah...I wondered if I was all by myself for the longest time. Heh, never expected to get so big, either. There must be something in the air here."

Hanley made a sound of agreement as she gulped down her food. Natsuhiko's eyebrows raised as he watched her.

"I know for a fact that if Granny Mitsuko saw you eat like that she'd thump you."

'Problem is I haven't seen Grandma in years and she probably thinks we're dead anyway...'

"Sorry, habit. I'm used to having my food stolen if I was too slow."

"Shoho! For a second I forgot who you spend your time with." He sipped almost delicately at his tea before carefully grasping one of the tea cakes to dip into his Earl Grey. Silence fell as both seemed to search for something to say. They were practically strangers despite the circumstances, and Hanley found she didn't like that very much at all.

"Mm...Anyway, tell me what you've been doing these last ten years."

"What have I been doing for the past ten years..."

"Y-Yeah!...You must have been so excited, right? I mean, you liked it, didn't you?"

Natsuhiko fell silent for several long moments, eyes focused on the dregs of his tea.

"D'you know how far I got in the manga before we were washed up here?"

Hanley wasn't expecting having her question answered with another question, so it took her a bit to formulate an answer. As she thought, Natsuhiko sighed heavily and shoved his teacup and saucer to the side so he could lean his forearms on the table.

"I...no? I don't even remember the one you showed me, back then?"

"I loved One Piece, Hanley. I waited anxiously every week for that newest chapter, that newest episode. And when there were breaks, I would re-read it until I was reciting every line by heart. Before we ended up..._here_...the series had gone pretty far beyond Loguetown."

"Then," Hanley connected the dots quickly. "I guess you used that to your advantage? You knew we—Luffy, at least—would be here today?"

"He arrived on the anniversary of Gold Roger's death; wasn't hard to figure out the date. So, I made sure to get here by then."

"But...you also knew Luffy was in East Blue, right? Why not get here sooner?"

"Why indeed? After all, since I have a good idea how it works, why not make the necessary changes? And I will, soon. I thought...I really thought being a pirate would be the best."

"Natsuhiko?"

Natsuhiko's hands slowly curled into fists even though his face didn't betray much emotion at all. It was so drastically different from the spaz she used to know in Hakube. He had been happy, earnest, and honestly the most _fun_ out of her friends. What happened to him? Hanley bit her lip, now worried about him. Something just wasn't...right.

"Time has shown me that the Straw Hats are a really unique crew; they are good pirates, and...well, let's just say there's a reason the greater population of the world fears pirates. Rightfully so, I've found. But of course, Monkey D. Luffy is the hero of the story, naturally he would be special. Unlike the rest of the poor saps in the world."

Hanley found herself frowning, but she wasn't quite sure why. Maybe it was because Natsuhiko was no longer that flaky, over-excited otaku she knew. She supposed that was what happened when one grew up. It sounded as if the world really got him down. She could definitely understand that—when she first arrived, she was so frightened that she had had insomnia for months. A little longer to get used to the language; much, much longer to get over the homesickness. Hanley had realized long ago that she had gotten lucky: what if it was a different crew that picked her up, one that would sell her off to slavery with no remorse? What if she hadn't met the wonderful people of Fuschia and Eagle's Peak and that side of Goa in general? As much as she complained about the both of them, she had a hard time imagining life without Luffy and Ace. Yes, she was lucky; something told her Natsuhiko didn't fare nearly as well.

Natsuhiko laughed and served himself another helping of South Blue trout.

"But why am I saying such depressing stuff? I found a niche for myself, you know. I never thought I'd say this, but the Marines aren't half bad."

Hanley gaped at him, a chunk of food nearly falling out of her mouth.

"Uh?"

"Shohoho, such an attractive look, Han-chan. You heard me. I've done pretty well for myself in that organization. I used to not think much of them, but between the security and good works, they're not that bad. Of course, as with a lot things, it could definitely use...a revolution."

Hanley managed to swallow and coughed when it nearly went down the wrong way. From what she remembered, Natsuhiko was the type to have jumped at the chance of running wild on the seas. Well, perhaps he still got to do that sort of thing as a marine? After all, no one could make Garp do anything that he didn't want to do.

Suddenly, Natsuhiko's mood did a 180 and he grasped her hand tightly.

"Are you surprised? Someone like me, who used to be a scrawny, useless kid, managed to mold himself into a Rear Admiral? That I've taken to responsibility very well?" Natsuhiko preened a little. "Aren't I good catch?"

'Um, you're _something_.'

"Shohoho, you're speechless!"

'Because you've clearly gone insane.'

"You surprised me, too. You've really blossomed, and are those scales? Not to worry, I've seen quite a few things in my time so I don't mind."

'How generous of you...there are no words.'

"And there's this one thing I've _really_ been meaning to ask you...'Man-Eater'?"

'Am I...Natsuhiko, am I...'

"And you call me perverted, Han-chan?"

'Am I going to have to end your life?'

"Why so silent?"

'I'm going to have to end your life.'

"No particular reason, Natsuhiko."

"Heh, the way you say my name makes it sound like we're far away from each other, Han-chan."

Hanley paused and grimaced slightly. Perhaps he had a valid point. But still, how could she tell him that he was little more than a stranger, now? For some reason, even though it was completely irrational, Hanley thought that it would be different if she met her old friends again, like they'd just pick up right where they left off. Now when the time had come she had unconsciously pushed him away. It really didn't help he was acting creepy beforehand.

But that was hardly an excuse—he didn't deserve that. Hanley gently squeezed his hand in return, smiling softly when his smile grew wide.

"I'm sorry, you're right...Natsu-kun. Ha, it's been so long that I really don't know what to do with myself."

"Well, I don't much know either...so, let's start over. As if...as if we never left home and no one ever died. As if we could go anywhere we pleased. In fact, I do have a lot of leeway; we won't have to worry about anything. I can take care of that pesky little bounty of yours, no problem. The World Government has far more to worry about."

And just like that, Hanley's smile fell.

"Natsu-kun, about that..."

"You probably saw my ship at port, as a matter of fact. It's the galleon—"

"Natsu-kun!"

Natsuhiko blinked at her sudden outburst. His smile faded as well and his expression became more unreadable.

"Is something wrong?"

"I...I can't."

"You can't what?" came the soft reply. Hanley squirmed uncomfortably when his grip became like iron. She tried to tug her hand free with little success.

"You know I'm...I made a promise—"

"Oh, I've seen your poster, Han-chan. Marriage, hm?"

For some reason his tone caused her to flush in embarrassment. She gave another rough yank, but there was no give at all. Natsuhiko tilted his head slightly to the left.

"What's wrong? I'm not going to hurt you—I care for you. Even though you don't much care about me or my friendship."

Hanley's nervousness quickly turned to anger. The sheer nerve of him! After everything...what sort of person did he take her for?

"How dare you? How could you say that?"

"Easily! Everything I have done was for you! _Everything—_"

"And what the fuck did you think I was doing? Did you think I wanted to be separated from you guys? I've worked so hard just for the chance to find a way back to Hakube!"

"So have I!"

"Then why are you yelling at me?"

"You started it you cranky wit—" Natsuhiko cut himself off and forced himself to take a deep breath. "We always ended up arguing, didn't we?"

Hanley remained silent, still seething a bit but she couldn't help but agree. Out of their group they had clashed the most violently, with Hitomi coming in at a close second. Poor Eriko always played the peacekeeper...

'Huh...who would have thought I'd remember all of that.'

Natsuhiko pressed his lips together in a thin line before sighing.

"I didn't think it'd come to this. Hanley, Han-chan, we belong together. We have to stick together in this crazy place. Please, I'll let you have one, last chance to stop your foolishness. Monkey D. Luffy is not for you. We are anomalies here, he will get you killed. I have real power and I can get more, let me use it to protect you. I'm not being unreasonable, Han-chan."

No, he really wasn't being too unreasonable. And yes, it had become quite clear years ago that she could die a messy, painful death. She hadn't chosen an easy path; then again, she didn't want it to be easy. What would have been the point if it were? Yet, Natsuhiko was staring at her so earnestly, like he used to when they would argue over things that were now stupid in hindsight.

Hanley shook her head, ignoring the guilt twisting in her gut. She didn't appreciate his accusations, and she kind of suspected that he was manipulating her emotions, but he was still a childhood friend.

"It's not that simple."

"I see." He shook his head and stood, urging her to her feet. "I want you to see something, Han-chan. It's why I brought you into town in the first place. Otherwise, I would have simply taken you to my galleon."

'...He can't be serious.'

Natsuhiko kept his hold on her hand and led her down the street. Hanley flushed and grumbled half heartedly, more curious as to what he was planning than anything else. He pointed out stores that she may have liked, told off color jokes that he heard from his time as a Seaman (ha ha, didn't she get it?), and shared quick anecdotes from Grand Line. It wasn't all that bad, to be honest. Hanley was genuinely enjoying herself a bit until they approached the town square. There was some kind of commotion up ahead involving a rather beautiful woman with a pink cloak. Hanley ignored her and her giant iron spiked club in favor of the tall platform located in front of what appeared to be some kind of courthouse.

"What the fuck—Monkey D. Luffy!" He must have heard her shout somehow over the growing racket as he cringed and started looking around wildly.

Natsuhiko snickered and gave her a rather sly look.

"Ah, now he's just the picture of 'hen-pecked', isn't he? I see you're still quite mean. Should I feel sorry for him?"

"You can shut the hell up, too," Hanley snapped as she wrenched her hand free to march up to the platform. Hanley could see the prone figure of some kind of official lying sprawled on the ground, and there was a wide amount of space around the woman as if the crowd was giving her a wide berth. Hanley briefly raked her eyes over her and shrugged, thoroughly unimpressed.

She then noticed the panting men making eyes at the beauty and she felt disgusted. For all Luffy's faults at least he didn't pull that nonsense.

"Hanuman! What are you doing up there?" called Hanley as she came to a stop by the woman. She put her hands on her hips just to emphasize her displeasure. After ten years she had pretty much figured out the most effective combination of tone of voice and body language to get the best results. Ha, maybe she did have Luffy and Ace "hen pecked" to a certain extent.

Luffy scratched his head (success!) and looked just a bit sheepish.

"This is the execution platform! I was gonna see it, remember?"

"Oh, so this is it?" Hanley didn't bother wondering why he was up there after that, even though it was pretty clear it was supposed to be restricted.

'Must be the huge ass sign on the courthouse: RESTRICTED. I know he can read, but he makes me wonder.'

"I see, Luffy, so is she why you have forgotten me?" The woman chuckled lowly as Hanley gaped at her. The crowd began murmuring over the implications of _that_ statement.

"...Excuse me? Who the hell is this, Hanuman?" Despite the large weapon, the woman seemed to be carrying it with ease—Hanley figured she must have been a pirate of some kind

"I dunno!" Luffy answered, clearly confused himself. "I've never met a woman that looked like her before..."

The woman smiled and all the men swooned as if they were back in grade school. Hanley could feel her blood pressure rise as a result. Sure, Sanji was funny, but this was downright pathetic.

"Truly? However, I will never forget you...the first and only man to punch my face."

'Good.' Hanley thought viciously. 'I hope it hurt.'

Luffy frowned and rubbed his chin, still not connecting the dots.

"I hit your face...?"

"Indeed," she purred. "I can still _feel _it."

Hanley couldn't help but snap at that. Now it just felt like sexual harassment! And what the fuck were all these men staring at?

"What is wrong with you? Who are you?"

"Tsk, such jealousy."

"... ...What."

The woman turned with a flare, her cape snapping in the breeze as she held open her arms.

"Everyone! Who is the most beautiful person in the world?"

"That must be you!" came the unanimous response from men (and women...?) in the crowd. Hanley felt a suspicious throbbing in her temple that usually accompanied the beginning of migraines. Natsuhiko seemed to be laughing at her as he watched the events.

"Yes! That's right! There is no man who would deny me, and I like strong men! Luffy, you must be mine!" she cried before pausing. "Well, I imagine it shouldn't be too hard to do that."

Hanley's left eye twitched.

"What are you implying, you witch?"

"I'm not implying anything. I'm saying outright that no man could resist my beauty. You are...striking...but there is really no comparison."

Hanley hissed and squared her shoulders. Sure, she was resigned to her appearance, and on her better days she thought herself rather pretty. Not gorgeous like Nami (especially not in the, er, chest area), but Hanley didn't think herself an ogre. This lady made it sound like she was sporting a small hunchback! Who did this arrogant snot think she was?

Admittedly, though, it was a little strange seeing someone wanting Luffy's affection. Luffy was...Luffy. It was sort of...well, not _weird.._.

Oh who was she kidding? It was weird as hell!

Besides, Luffy could barely remember Hanley was a female half the time—it just wasn't something he paid attention to. No, Hanley wasn't worried about that, but she _was_ pissed at being insulted.

"I can assure you, my husband up there doesn't find anything wrong with me."

Naturally the crowd gasped and "oooh"d appropriately, exacerbating her migraine.

The woman blinked in mild surprise before that smarmy smile reappeared.

"Oh? The poor man must have had a rather limited selection."

To Hanley's credit her fist didn't immediately crash into the other's face. Instead she crossed her arms and let out a sharp bark of laughter.

"Oh please! Even if that man were the type, he'd have better things to do than get involved with a cow."

It was Hanley's turn to smile as the woman's face twisted in rage.

"What did you call me?"

"Did I stutter? Or are you stupid as well as loose?"

"You ugly hag!"

"Ugly? You're the ugly one, prancing about with no shame and braying like an ass!"

"That's fine talk coming from someone with the figure of a plank of wood!"

"How dare you? Better flat than diseased, harlot!"

"Hanley..." Luffy even raised his hand slightly, only to flinch when both women turned to him.

"Shut up!"

Hanley snarled, "You can't tell him to shut up! Only I can do that! Isn't that right, Luffy?"

"Don't answer!" someone (obviously male) called from the audience.

"Um, Hanley..." Luffy tried once more, noticing that they were being surrounded by the town guard.

Hanley paused in her screaming match to glare at him.

"Not _now_, Luffy—" Hanley saw movement from the corner of her eye and ducked as the woman swung her spiked club in a wide arc. Hanley snorted and was within the woman's guard in a heartbeat. She didn't seem to be much of a fighter, which was all the better for Hanley's raging temper. Oh, she was going to _enjoy_ this.

Her fist struck true, but for some reason it slid right off with no harm. Hanley was so surprised she actually stumbled from the increased momentum as her arm went wide. When she recovered, Hanley stared at her fist then at the woman's smug visage.

'No, I definitely hit her...what...'

"Fufufu...you looked so surprised. Tell you what: I'll even allow another attempt."

Hanley bared her teeth and brought her left hand around for an open-handed slap. The result was the same—her hand just slid right off her skin as if she was covered in some odd kind of lubrication.

"Whoa, what was that?" Luffy peered at her in surprise. Seeing as he was apparently successful in striking her beforehand, this new invulnerability must have been a recent development.

"Akuma no Mi, am I right?" Hanley jumped back a bit to put more space between them, taking her a bit more seriously. Hanley doubted she'd be hurt with that club even if it managed to connect, but seeing as she couldn't land a hit herself they were at a stalemate.

And that really pissed her off, Hanley was looking forward to making that witch swallow her own teeth.

"So you aren't as slow as you look. Yes! I, Alvida, have eaten the Sube Sube no Mi."

"Oh, Alvida? Where is she?" Luffy asked.

"I'm Alvida, you moron!" the woman, apparently named Alvida, shouted angrily.

"Alvida...oh, I remember! Coby told me about you—weren't you some kind of fat ass?" asked Hanley casually, barely containing malicious glee when Alvida growled at her. Alvida shook her hair behind her shoulders and whipped off her pink cape.

"Hmph! No matter. As you have seen, no matter how you attack me, you can't make any scar on my skin. Sorry, but my beauty hasn't changed a bit...I was never a 'fat ass'. Although...I did lose my freckles—"

"No, that wasn't your problem," Luffy disagreed, waving his hand.

'Still, while she didn't get a powerful fruit, she definitely got a troublesome one. No one can injure her, and in a fight that's the worst.' Hanley eyed her, not quite sure how to proceed.

"Well, as fun as this is..." Alvida glanced behind Hanley before tensing briefly. "W-We have been searching for you! If you can't get out of this then I'm afraid you can't be my man!"

"Wha—ack!" Luffy grunted when he was knocked down and pinned under a modified pillory. Hanley froze briefly in surprise. Standing above him was a figure she pretty much hoped never to see again, if only because he was annoying. He snapped a lock in place to keep Luffy trapped and threw back his head and laughed.

"Buggy the Clown? You're supposed to be in pieces!" Hanley cried. It was a small mercy that Natsuhiko appropriated his crew for his own use, but that didn't stop the pirate from using Luffy as some sort of hostage. How did they constantly find themselves in such odd situations?

"I have returned from my exile! Little Buggy has been through many tough situations, but in the end I have prevailed!" He held out his hand towards the masses below. "Even though I have lost my crew, I will rise again! Rubberman, I will execute you in front of these people! You should be proud to die at the same place as the greatest pirate!"

"Shut up, you reject! I'll kill you—"

"Ah, ah, please don't move, Han-chan." Natsuhiko wrapped a large arm around her middle, securing her arms against her sides.

'What? I didn't even see him move...is he really that strong?'

Clearly he was, as he held her quite easily despite her increasingly desperate struggling.

'I seriously can't move! Why? I thought...he can't want Luffy dead, that makes no sense!'

"Natsu-kun, let me go! I have to help him!"

"Oi! What're you doing to Hanley?" Luffy ignored Buggy in favor of shouting at Natsuhiko.

"My, my, but I had to interfere. Otherwise my cute little subordinates would have been hurt." Natsuhiko smiled softly at him.  
A shiver ran down Hanley's spine.

"...Did you say...subordinates?"

"It's troublesome, but I have a good deal with that marine bastard." Buggy scratched his chin and shrugged, while Alvida, interestingly enough, found the ground to be very interesting. Hanley stared at the now cowed woman and looked over her shoulder, trying to see Natsuhiko's face. What...what did he _do_ to her—?

"Don't say it like that...it makes me look bad, Mr. Buggy. Why can't you be nice like Ms. Alvida here? Although...I don't think I'm too pleased with her behavior." Alvida flinched and Natsuhiko shrugged. "Anyway, I won't have you interfering, Han-chan. You'll just get hurt."

"You son of a bitch! _You're_ the one who's going to get hurt the second I get free! Asshole!" Hanley tried everything she could think of, but he wasn't budging. Natsuhiko's eyes flashed and he opened his mouth to answer when a familiar scream interrupted him.

"Ah! What is he doing on that execution platform?"

"Usopp!" Hanley screamed as she tried to turn to look in the direction of the panicked shout. Unfortunately, Natsuhiko's bulk plus the ever growing crowd made it impossible.

"Huh, this is the first time that I've ever seen an execution," Luffy commented. Hanley felt like _crying_.

Buggy yelled, "You are the one whose going to be executed!"

Luffy's expression changed into utter horror. Well, when the kid got it, he really did get it.

"What? Don't say something stupid!" Or perhaps not.

"You're the one who's stupid!"

Natsuhiko tilted his head to the side, humming softly as he considered the scene before him..

"Even now he's so lively." Natsuhiko idly remarked, as if performing some sort of scientific observation.

"And now..." Buggy drew his sword and held it high. "I would like to begin the execution!"

'Oh for fuck's _sake_!...'

Hanley's feet slid across the stones as she continued to try to pull away. She was actually beginning to tire while Natsuhiko seemed content to let her wear herself out.

"Natsuhiko, you are seriously pissing me the fuck off!" And what was up with his strength? How could he get so strong? She couldn't even get him to _budge_.  
"Remember what I have told you before, Han-chan? About Luffy being...chosen? Special?"

"What does that matter?" she shrieked, stomping on his wingtips with no success. It irritated her that the only damage her combat boots inflicted was scuffing the black toe cap.

"All I want to do is...see."

"Goddammit!"

"Will we bear witness to something amazing? Or will he die like a dog? Does our presence here change anything? Or nothing?"

Hanley sagged a bit, gathering her strength to make another escape attempt.

"Was this only what you wanted? Was everything a fucking _lie_?" Her scream echoed throughout the square and it seemed to knock Natsuhiko out of his complacency..

"What? Oh Han-chan, no, never. I might bend the truth, but I would _never_ lie to you."

Hanley didn't know how to respond, and Buggy resumed talking as he got into the best stance to chop off Luffy's neck. He twirled his cutlass and smiled unpleasantly.  
"Do you have any last words? There are many people looking at you, now."

'I have to do something—'

"Natsuhiko, I'm begging you! I'll do whatever you want if let me go! I swear!" Hanley tried as a last resort.

"How interesting." Natsuhiko didn't so much as budge, however. "He really inspired such loyalty."

"No last words?" Buggy seemed to be having far too much fun, soaking up the attention and power like an overly painted sponge.

"How can I be so weak...?" Hanley whispered to herself, beyond frustrated.

"You're not," Natsuhiko whispered in her ear, "you just have a long way to go, yet. But I'll help you get there."

"I!" Luffy suddenly shouted loudly, fearlessly, "am the person who will become the greatest pirate!"

The crowd broke into murmurs as Buggy scoffed and raised his sword high.

"Is that all you wanted to say, Rubberman?"

"Stop!" Hanley recognized Sanji's shout, vaguely and coming from a distance, but just like before she couldn't see them. Luffy smiled, able to see him from his vantage point.

"Sanji! Zoro!"

"Finally you've come, Zoro, but you are too late!" Buggy gloated. Hanley could hear them trying to push through the crowd even though there was no more time. Hanley lunged forward in one last desperate attempt.

"Luffy!"

"Hahaha! All of you be prepared and watch! This is the end of your captain's life!"

'I can't accept this! Would this even be happening if I didn't look for Natsuhiko? This is—!'

"Zoro! Sanji! Usopp! Nami!...Hanley." Luffy smiled brightly, almost to the point of laughing. "Sorry! But I don't think that I'll survive this time."

Hanley stared at him, uncomprehending. That smile...didn't she see that somewhere before?...It was so Luffy, yet strangely calming. She found herself relaxing in spite of herself.

'Don't cry, Hanley...that's what he said back then...why am I thinking about that, now? Why do I suddenly feel like he won't...'

Then the sky lit up with a blinding flash, followed by a deafening boom of thunder. People screamed as a large bolt of lightning crashed down and struck the platform with concussive force. It practically exploded into flame and began to collapse before their shocked eyes. Hanley couldn't believe it. Was it divine providence? Stupidly brilliant luck that seemed to follow Luffy all through his life?

"Also," Natsuhiko suddenly piped up, "that's exactly how it happened in the manga. I couldn't risk you getting struck by lightning—you aren't exactly made from rubber."

For her part, Hanley didn't know if she could fully believe that. Luffy stood up from the wreckage, no worse for the wear even if his clothes were a bit charred. His hat fluttered down to the ground and he bent to pick it up. Buggy's body was totally blackened and unmoving. No one said anything as Luffy placed his hat on his head and patted down his vest.

"Lucky! Guess I'm safe, now!" his cheer was so far out of place that Hanley giggled hysterically. Sanji and Zoro looked stunned as they approached.

"Do...do you believe in God?" muttered Sanji, echoing Hanley's earlier thoughts.

"Phew! That was really close!"

Zoro grunted, "Don't say stupid things. We have to leave town soon."

"About that...oi, you shitty marine," Sanji stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned to face Natsuhiko. Natsuhiko blinked slowly and smiled blankly.

"What a rude form of greeting. How may I help you?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing with Hanley-sama? You're a little too close, don't you think?"

Natsuhiko chuckled.

"So this is your chivalry...I am honored. No, it is none of your business what I do with my childhood friend. But you really ought to consider getting out of here. Captain Smoker won't appreciate the chaos going on in his town. As you are now, you really can't afford to stay here."

Hanley gaped.

"Natsuhiko, what are you saying? Let me go!"

"Oh Han-chan, I hate having to use force on you—"

'Holy shit...this is a first. I'm being kidnapped. I'm _actually_ being kidnapped—by an acquaintance, too! I wonder how I'm supposed to feel about this...well, other than blinding rage.'

"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!" Luffy's signature punch shot forward and hit Natsuhiko in the face with a resounding smack. Hanley screamed when it went straight through, splattering her with a thick, dark brown substance.

'Is this mud?'

She wasn't the only one screaming, as the sight of a marine literally losing his head was enough to cause the crowd to panic and start stampeding out of the town square.

"What the hell—" Sanji began, interrupted by Zoro's curse and unsheathing his weapons.

Luffy yelped, "Ah, his head exploded!"

"No, it's a Devil's Fruit!"

Hanley stared as Natsuhiko's neck seemed to bubble upward. The substance began to race back up his body, reforming his head as if Luffy had never touched it. Natsuhiko blinked once his eyes were reformed and carefully ran his gloved fingers through his hair.

"Oh my, now _that_ was rude. As I was saying, you can't stay here for much longer if you want to escape imprisonment and get ahead of this freak storm."

"Natsuhiko...what the shit?" Hanley breathed, cringing when she realized there was still some _on her face._

"Ah, that...well, I should introduce myself properly. Here, I am Rear Admiral Karlo Basil...and I...am a clayman. I thought you would appreciate the reference." He directed that last bit to Hanley with a grin. "I was lucky enough to consume the Dose Dose no Mi...it really helped. Unfortunately, that means that your crewmembers here can't touch me."

"Do you want to test that?" Zoro growled.

"It's fact, as you just saw, besides..." Natsuhiko smiled as his arm holding Hanley to his body began to melt and shift. Hanley shuddered at the feeling of the mud-like clay moving over her skin, then she began screaming when she began to sink into his body.

"Let me go! This is sick, this is just downright nasty! Pervert!"

"You can be so cruel," sighed Natsuhiko, although he sounded strangely happy. She didn't even want to consider the implications of that thought.

"Hanley!" Luffy screamed, rearing back for another punch.

"I would be careful if I were you...you might hurt her."

At that point, Luffy could have knocked out one of her teeth and she'd have taken the blow if that meant she could get an arm free to punch Natsuhiko herself.

"Fuck that; smack the shit out of him, Hanuman!"

Surprisingly, Luffy proved to be the more reasonable of the two in this case as he cursed and slowly lowered his arm.

"I'm not leaving without Hanley."

"Ugh..." Hanley groaned, submerged inside Natsuhiko up to the neck. It really was like being encased in a thick, heavy clay. She couldn't even move an inch. Natsuhiko hummed and looked upward as rain began falling in earnest.

He was no longer smiling as he gazed at them.

"Oh, I can guarantee you will. Go to Grand Line and become 'Pirate King', I'm not stopping you. Change the world! Bring revolution! That's your purpose, isn't it?" There was an underlying current of bitterness as he adjusted the white overcoat on his shoulders. "What if I told you this was the best for her? Oh, neither of you can see it now, but she really isn't suited for this. You'll end up killing her, Monkey D., and I refuse to see that happen. What do you say to that?"

"Bleh!" Luffy briefly stuck out his tongue. "I don't care what you say! Hanley's my wife, my nakama, so give her back!"

Natsuhiko shook his head and laughed.

"Oh man, to think I admired that sort of thing! You're a child and a fool, but...Well, if you're _that_ stubborn...try and go against me, a Rear Admiral from Grand Line."

Zoro held up his weapons.

"With pleasure!"

"I'll save you, Hanley-sama!" Sanji called.

'Oh for fuck's sake, is this really happening? This is so stupid, I will _maim_ him.'

Natsuhiko tsked in irritation.

"You're really exhausting. Well, let's go, Hanley."

"I'll kick your ass for this, just you—!" Hanley quickly closed her mouth before it filled with clay as her entire head sank into his body. She panicked a bit, as she couldn't breathe and wondered if Natsuhiko realized that he could end up suffocating her if he didn't release her in time. She vaguely heard Luffy's furious shouts, but she couldn't decipher their meaning as her world grew ever darker.

'I wonder...if this is deserved...'

* * *

Captain Smoker

'What is this kid?' Smoker thought as easily evaded the pirate's—no, Monkey D. Luffy's—angry swings. He formed his legs into smoke and flew upward, although the other man was easily able to cross the distance with a powerful leaps, using the nearby buildings to aid him. The events that occurred moments before still played in Smoker's mind even when he should have been focusing on the fight he was involved in. He growled in annoyance when Luffy aimed past him instead, trying to get to the harbor.

'Why was he laughing? Did he know that he would survive? No, that's impossible. He had fully realized he would end his life here. He admitted the truth...that he would die and he laughed...That kid was _laughing_! That was the same laugh as Gold Roger when he was executed in this town twenty-two years ago!'

"Where are you going, Straw Hat? I am not done with you!"

Luffy continued running down the cobblestone street, nearly slipping in the now torrential rain that beat down on them both.

"I don't have time for you! I have to save Hanley!"

Oh, right. Smoker would be asking his own questions of Karlo Basil once he caught up to him as well. Smoker had finally finished coordinating his men in controlling the panicked mob and was pushing his way towards the group. He was already irritated that such events could happen on his watch, even if he was told to stand down by a higher ranking marine, and he had lost Tashigi in the chaos on top of that. Karlo must have finished his conversation because the next thing he knew, after absorbing the woman into his body, he was suddenly racing across the rooftops with a (Smoker'll admit this very, very grudgingly) well executed _Soru_. Naturally, the three pirates were soon making chase, although they couldn't hope to catch up to Karlo at the rate they were going.

With that, Smoker decided to engage them; regardless of what happened, he still had his duty to perform and he would see them imprisoned before this day was out. Straw Hat had surprised him though by skidding to a stop to face him, allowing the other men to go ahead without him. It was (also grudgingly admitted) brave of him, if not foolish. If the previous lesson about Logia devil's fruits hadn't sunk in yet, Smoker would gladly demonstrate just how futile it was.

Not that that little punk was being logical right now.

Smoker paused briefly when the wind changed directions, buffeting his smoke-like form.

"And on top of that, the winds are blowing westward...their ship will be propelled from this place even faster. That lightning, this storm, this wind...is this just coincidence? It seems as if heaven itself is helping them!

"...Well, no matter. White Blow!" Smoker sent his attack out of both arms, using one to impact the ground before Luffy, stopping his escape, and then bringing his other arm around to blast Luffy into a building.

Straw Hat was proving to be incredibly resilient (or desperate) as he was back on his feet in practically the next second, but it was far too late at that point. Smoker grabbed his head and sent him right back down to the ground, pinning him under his knee. Straw Hat struggled with no luck.

"Dammit! Let me go! _**Hanley!**_"

Something strange happened then that, even later, Smoker wasn't quite sure what exactly occurred. One moment he was moving to unsheathe his jitte from his back, the next he found himself reeling backward from the sheer force of Luffy's scream. It surprised him more than anything; however, it nearly allowed his prey slip free before Smoker steeled himself and reapplied more pressure.

'And that! What the hell was that just now? This kid will definitely be trouble if I don't seal his movements now!' Whatever it was, if he had been any weaker he would have been knocked out.

"That was dangerous, kid. But it looks like your luck just ran out—"

"I don't think so."

Smoker jerked in surprise when a hand grabbed his arm with incredible force. What really shocked him was that it made his formally intangible body tangible. Fuck, one of _those_ users...

Smoker looked back to see just who was grabbing him before his mind blanched.

"You—!" Smoker was really starting to believe some kind of deity was looking out for Straw Hat.

"What? Who? Who is that?" Luffy asked, his face still eating dirt.

"The government is looking for you," Smoker said, ignoring Straw Hat for now. The tattooed man in the deep black cloak merely smirked in response.

"The world is waiting for our answer." Then he yanked Smoker off Straw Hat—just in time for a large group of his men to come flying towards him.

By the time Smoker could sort out what happened, both Straw Hat and the cloaked figure were long gone.


	19. Fiddler's Green

_Hanley_

Chapter XIII B-Side: Fiddler's Green

* * *

Krut Hanley

Hanley stared at the ceiling of the cell she was tossed in, mind racing but unable to concentrate through it all. Her wrists were bound behind her back by a pair of rather sturdy manacles (the rings and chain made out of some stone called _kairo_-something or other; Hanley had other things to worry about at the time). The ship rolled and bucked beneath her despite its size—the storm must have been truly fierce, not that she could see it. She had no idea where Natsuhiko went; she had only awakened a short time ago and he was nowhere to be seen at that point. Hanley sighed and adjusted herself on the mattress, trying to get comfortable.

Right now, she simply didn't know what to do. She had no idea where she was, where everyone else was...why? Why did this happen? If only she had some warning...

Hanley frowned and flipped onto her side so she could see her magatama. It lay there inconspicuously, as if it really was some mere jewel instead of...

"Why didn't you warn me? You were just fine at Kokoyashi, weren't you? ...Shouldn't you have warned me like you usually do?"

"I imagine it's because I truly meant you no harm."

Hanley flinched and glared when Natsuhiko appeared before her cell and simply walked through the bars.

"What the fuck do _you_ want?"

"I was just answering your question." Natsuhiko nodded towards her necklace. "I remember you getting that...on that day. It really is beautiful."

"... ..."

Hanley focused her eyes on the far wall, pointedly ignoring him. Natsuhiko sighed and held up a ring of keys.

"If you promise to be good, I can take those cuff s off you? I can get you a nice room and get you settled. Hopefully the storm won't last for too much longer—"

"How the hell can you stand there and talk to me as if everything is okay, _Nagano_?"

Natsuhiko's face shuttered and he sighed in exasperation.

"So now it's just my family name. I'm saving you."

"You have an odd way of saving me. And what can I expect if you want to hurt me?"

Natsuhiko pulled up a chair.

"I'm trying to be patient, but you always make it so difficult, Han-chan."

"And don't call me that, either."

"How can you not see? I'm not the enemy, here. I am working for something better."

Hanley gave a rather unattractive snort, showing just how much of that she believed. Natsuhiko rolled his eyes.

"Like I also said, I would _never_ lie to you. Here, let me take care of those shackles at least so we can have a civilized conversation." He reached around to do so when he paused. He hissed softly and stood in irritation. "Cassius!"

Mere moments later a man larger than both Natsuhiko and Hanley appeared by the cell door. Hanley shuddered as she stared in his blank, black eyes.

'How creepy...'

"Don't mind him," Natsuhiko assured her when he noticed her unease, "That's Clay Cassius, he's harmless. Well, up until he has orders. Cassius, whose bright idea was it to use kairoseki on her? Find out who did it so I can speak with them."

Cassius nodded mechanically and exited with an odd, loping walk. Natsuhiko clicked his tongue against his teeth.

"Honestly, I expect so much better. Well, my gloves should be enough protection..."

"What does it do?" Hanley asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Among other things, it's one of the few ways to restrain devil's fruit users. It has something to do with emitting the same frequency as the sea."

"...Oh?"

"Yes, oh. And don't get any bright ideas. I didn't get as far as I did on devil fruit ability alone. Now," he settled back in his chair, "we have some things we need to discuss."

"No kidding. Since when are you in the habit of gross understatements?"

"Funny. I know you must be angry at me right now, Han-chan. And seeing how rough I was with you, you have every right to be. But can you hear me out for just a bit? Just enough to hear where I'm coming from?"

"Will you let me go back to the Going Merry?"

"Ah...no."

"Then I'm not going to like you very much."

Hanley watched him sigh again before turning her attention to her surroundings. It was certainly a far more comfortable jail cell than she would have figured. It was rather large, meant to hold many prisoners, but Natsuhiko had apparently furnished it with a small bed to turn it into some sort of bedroom. Hanley mentally calculated her chances of slipping past him to escape; she didn't much like them. Hanley grunted in irritation at the situation she found herself in. Then, she had a sudden thought.

"Do you miss Makoto-jisan?"

Natsuhiko blinked.

"My father?"

"Yes, your father."

"...My father has nothing to do with this—"

"He'd kick your ass for treating a lady this way and you know it, regardless of your reasons."

Hanley couldn't read the emotions flitting across Natsuhiko's face before it settled into that damnable blankness.

"Yeah, yeah he would. But he couldn't protect me here."

"Natsuhiko...please." Perhaps if she switched tactics? "Tell me what happened to you."

He shrugged and crossed his arms, brown eyes defensive.

"I was a slave, okay? You know about the Tenryuubito?"

'Yeah...Ishamon-sensei said his daughters were...before they died...' Feeling a little ill, Hanley nodded.

"They...you were..."

"We'll leave it at that, won't we? I got lucky one day and ate my devil's fruit when my master got careless. With it I managed to...escape. But the world was just as cruel outside. If not for the Marines...well, like I said before, they could use some work, but I won't be forgetting the chance they have given me. And I was _good_ at it, Hanley! Can you imagine, for someone like me—I was no one special in Hakube! I wasn't smart like Eriko, beautiful like Daisuke, popular like Hitomi, and the only girl I liked didn't notice me! I was the third son of a fisherman whose family has been fishing since the dawn of time! And then I was a _slave_. But...I was so good at my job, and they recognized it. Do you realize how many people have reached the Admiral rank at my age? Not fucking many, I'll tell you that; so, please, spare me the self-righteousness."

Hanley opened her mouth to reply but found it dry. What could one say to that?

"Na..."

"I am working hard to change things, just you wait and see. I'll help you, too. You're not weak, but you just didn't have the difficulties I did. We can work on that together, yeah? You have to admit Luffy is too much of a loose cannon. He has no plan, and sooner or later that luck of his is going to run out."

'Oh my god...' Hanley was still trying to process all the implications of what Natsuhiko told her. It gave her an ugly, ugly picture.

"I can see you are troubled, Han-chan. That's alright, I was troubled, too. I had no direction, only anger. But I'm different now and I can help you, too. Do you honestly think...do you _honestly_ think we can go home? What will we do there? We're twenty goddamned years old with elementary school education! Who knows how it progressed while we were gone! They would have called the search off years ago—"

"Shut up, Natsuhiko!" Hanley screamed, knowing he was telling the truth but not wanting to hear it so plainly stated. The truth she had been ruminating on all those long years.

"I didn't like it either but I had to consider it...and so should you. So, after that, I had to think about my future. But this place wasn't like I thought. It had always seemed to fun, so free. When Shanks spoke about his romantic dream I dreamed, too. Sadly, slavery has a way of dispelling such childish delusions. However, with the right plan and resources...I can make something happen. I can make this world safe for us to live in, make it into the One Piece it should have been."

Hanley stared into his eyes, her hands twisting the blankets beneath her. It...wasn't a _bad_ dream, but something about it just didn't seem right, even after going over each word. If he could be trusted when he told her that he would never lie...what wasn't he saying? After a few moments, and seeing that there wasn't a hint of madness in his eyes even though he would have been allowed just a bit after his crappy experiences, Hanley dropped the line of thought for later inspection. It could be she was being paranoid—after everything that happened it was natural. Still, the feeling persisted...that had never happened before.

Then something else occurred to her.

"Natsuhiko...I'm glad you've gotten power and resources...but I don't suppose you looked for the others, have you?"

Natsuhiko's lips pursed in thought.

"I...yes. But as you can see they aren't here with us."

Hanley slumped a bit in disappointment.

"No...I guess not."

"I know, I understand. I didn't even find you until I saw the wanted poster."

"Yeah...if they're living quietly then that makes it...I had hoped, though."

"I've felt the same way myself. Now, don't you find this cell tiresome? Let's go up to the dining room. I have a world class chef ready to make anything you want."

'I want Sanji's food and nothing else...' Hanley thought as she nodded and stood to follow him. She just needed to bide her time and look for a way to escape. All she needed to do was find a way to get overboard. He didn't know about her abilities yet—strange he didn't ask, though.

'Well, he probably thinks I ate a devil fruit of some kind. I mean, look at me.'

Hanley followed him down the corridor, trying to memorize anything she could to make a possible escape easier. As she feared, the ship was rather massive. Countless marines were scurrying around, shouting orders as the storm raged around them. Unlike other Marine vessels she had seen, this one actually seemed to be made primarily of wood. She followed him up two sets of ladders before he pushed open the door leading to the dining area.

"I'm going to be keeping a close eye on you, so please don't do anything foolish, okay?" Natsuhiko pulled out a chair for her at one of the tables. "Besides, your old crew won't be able to follow us for long."

"What do you mean? You better not attack them or I'll—" Fucking do something that she didn't know quite yet.

"Of course I won't attack them...I won't need to. All you need do is take a look at that map to understand." He nodded his head towards the large map of East Blue on the wall. North, South, and West Blue had their own displays as well, but Hanley focused on their approximate location right now. She found Loguetown without any issue, seeing as it was a major stopping point, and she focused on the area where Red Line and Grand Line intercepted. She saw something called Reverse Mountain, but her attention was immediately drawn to the area around Grand Line.

"Hey, what's the Calm Belt?"

"It's a very unique phenomenon. It borders Grand Line on both sides, as you can see. But what's really amazing is that the waters in the Calm Belt don't move. At all. There is no wind that blows through there as well."

"...No wind?" Hanley murmured, quickly realizing just how significant that was.

"And it's also a nesting area for Sea Kings. Marine ships have a special coating of kairoseki on the bottom to ensure the Sea Kings don't attack our vessels, however, so we won't run into any problems. I imagine we're approaching the area as we speak. They won't be able to follow you, Han-chan, and you won't be able to escape—and once we're in Grand Line it would be in your best interest to stick with me."

Hanley's hands tightened into fists and she bit her lip. If they tried to follow they'd get killed.

"This is..."

Natsuhiko finished her sentence, "for your own good. I'm sorry. Just trust me when I say I know what's best."

"I'm not a child, goddammit, stop treating me like one!"

Natsuhiko frowned.

"I'm not."

"Yes you are. _You_ know what's best? We're the same fucking age! Hell, I'm actually three months _older_, stop insulting my intelligence!"

"I'm not doing that! But you have to admit that I might know a bit more about this place than you do. Once you learn more then you're welcome to make all the informed decisions you want."

"You're doing it _again_. Just...stop. I can appreciate the sentiment even if your methods fucking suck."

"What was I supposed to do? You wouldn't come with me otherwise!"

"You could just let me think for myself! One would think that slavery would teach you better!"

Natsuhiko's mouth snapped shut and Hanley cringed. Goddammit. The ensuing silence was thick and awkward, and to make it worse the dining room was getting colder as if to reflect the mood. It made her skin prickle uncomfortably and she rubbed her arms to warm them. It took Hanley several long moments to speak once more.

"I...that was really uncalled for. I'm sorry."

Natsuhiko huffed and shook his head.

"You're the worst damsel in distress, even if I think you're the prettiest."

Hanley blushed slightly.

"Whatever. Stop playing around. I'm still pissed at you."

"Let's get you some food." Natsuhiko turned to call one of the cooks over while Hanley stared out the window. The sky was practically pitch black, illuminated occasionally by a white flash of lightning. The waves were heavy and violent, and Hanley could only imagine how much worse it would be in a smaller vessel like the Going Merry. It practically looked like a typhoon out there; at the very least Natsuhiko's galleon was made with greater stability in mind. Hanley had never tried to swim out in such awful conditions, but she was sure she would be fine if Natsuhiko let down his guard. Once they hit that Calm Belt she would be stuck.

It hurt to think about leaving him, especially when it was obvious he was so unhappy. It hurt that after wanting something for so long it just didn't...it just wasn't what she thought it was. She had finally reunited with someone from her past, yet the only thing she could think about was her nakama. Natsuhiko would be fine—perhaps if she found some way to keep in touch...surely if she got one of those phone snails or wrote or something? Hanley continued staring out at the roiling sea, vaguely aware of Natsuhiko speaking with one of his subordinates and someone must have turned on a gramophone of some kind, as the sound of a violin filled the air, although the music was strangely muffled. And apparently the storm wasn't going to let up anytime soon, but the navigator assured they'd hit the Calm Belt before too long, effectively leaving the inclement weather behind anyway.

She didn't have much time left.

Hanley was considering smashing through the thick, tempered glass when something caught her eye on the horizon. Hanley stood and moved closer to the portal, peering out at the distance. It looked as if the storm had suddenly stopped, and for a second Hanley feared that the Calm Belt was just ahead and there would be no time to do anything. But, that wasn't quite right either, she didn't think. She grew more uncomfortable as the temperature continued to steadily decrease to the point where she could see her breath.

'This is weird, something's wrong...what am I feeling? What...what am I even looking...'

If it was the Calm Belt, wouldn't they have said something about it being this close?

"You alright, Hanley? Hurry up and eat before it gets cold." Natsuhiko waved off one of his officers and settled down for his meal. He didn't seem to notice the air at all—none of the men did. Hanley wondered if she had finally gone crazy. It was bound to happen sometime, after all. Why not suffer from hallucinations? Obviously her life had taken the turn to worst, her mind couldn't handle the stress, and it snapped. It wasn't clear, and it was just one area in the ocean that seemed to be..._fuzzy_. Like part of an image that was unfocused in spite of the surrounding clarity.

"...Turn the ship around."

Natsuhiko paused with his fork halfway to his mouth. The pasta began sliding off but he didn't pay it any mind.

"Sorry? Look, you're not going to change my mind, Han-chan."

"Turn. The ship around."

Something about her tone must have gotten through to him, as he put down his fork with a clatter and quickly moved to join her.

"Sir, what is it?" asked one of the petty officers.

Natsuhiko ignored him and stared out at the sea.

"Han-chan, are you feeling okay? What do see?"

Hanley nearly shrieked at him, "You don't see that?"

"No...?" answered Natsuhiko, clearly wondering if he should call for the ship's doctor. "You can't be scared of the storm. Besides, once we're in the Calm Belt it won't matter."

"Natsuhiko, I am dead serious. We're about to sail into...I don't know! We're running out of sea!"

"Running out of..." he trailed off, taking another look.

The feeling of dread was hard to even think about, getting worse as they moved forward. It was as if the world had ended, like it was flat instead of round and they were about to sail right off the edge. It could have been an illusion of some kind; all she knew was they shouldn't be sailing towards it.

"_Please_. Trust me."

Natsuhiko stared at her before nodding and marching towards the row of large, brass speaking tubes affixed on the wall. Natsuhiko stopped at the one on the far right and leaned down to speak into the cone.

"Bridge, this is Rear Admiral Karlo. Turn the ship around."

Hanley was gratified he was listening to her, even though it was tempered by the growing feeling of dread in her belly. There was a moment of silence before he received a response. She could see an Ensign frowning at her, suspicious and unhappy that his commander was acting strangely. Hanley glared right back and turned back to the window to see if it would make a difference. Unlike the Going Merry, the ship was just too big even if they did make a cut and run at this point. All she did was delay the inevitable.

'We can't abandon ship in this storm, I don't think even Natsuhiko would go that far for me without visual proof...am I crazy?'

"Rear Admiral?"

"Just do it. Tell the navigator to chart a new course."

"Aye-aye, sir. And lookout reports a small vessel half a league astern."

Natsuhiko's brows furrowed although he looked unsurprised.

"That close, huh? Caravel, right?"

Hanley gasped softly and whipped her head around. They really were following her! No, of course Luffy would—he'd follow to the ends of the earth (which was looking to be a very literal statement). Happiness filled her at the thought before another look into the gaping maw ahead caused those same warm feelings to stutter and die.

"Aye, sir."

"No matter, it cannot engage us directly right now. Just follow my orders. Does that help?" Natsuhiko directed the last part towards her. Hanley ignored him in favor of panicking as they drew closer to the end. There was no way this galleon was going to turn around in such heavy winds and water with enough time. Natsuhiko placed a hand on her shoulder, seemingly worried.

"Han-chan? What do you see? I can promise you there's nothing dangerous here." Natsuhiko started to pull her closer, only to stagger when the ship bucked violently. Everyone seemed to freeze, then chaos broke out when the entire ship gave a mighty heave and started tipping to the port side. The tables were bolted, thankfully, but the loose furniture and Natsuhiko's men practically flew across the room. One sailor crashed into her back—Hanley's face slammed into the glass with a loud crack, stunning her momentarily.

"What was that?"

"Are we capsizing?"

"Someone get me the Bridge, what the fuck is going on?"

Natsuhiko grabbed her as they rolled across the windows, face a sickly white.

"Hanley! What the fuck did you see?"

Hanley started to answer as best she could, but was forced to cover her head instead when debris continued to crash around them. Natushiko's body simply absorbed the blows; if it were any other situation the sight of a whisk sticking out of the side of his neck might even be somewhat amusing.

"I don't wanna die!"

"We're falling!"

"Hanley, wake up!"

The second time she came to that day was infinitely more comfortable than the first. She was lying on soft, sweet smelling grass with the sun beating down on her—not too bright, not too hot. She half forgot who she was and where she was beforehand, only concerned with going back to sleep. The peacefulness was nice, and it settled down into her bones. There was even music playing, softly; violin and accordion...a sea song? It really sounded like one. Hanley hummed softly and nearly fell back asleep, idly wondering where she heard that tune before.

'Oh, right...it was playing in the mess hall before...'

Hanley's eyes shot open and she suddenly sat up.

'It was playing before we...!' Hanley took a deep breath and looked around. She was surrounded by green fields and there were gently rolling hills in the far distance. There were no trees, only that soft, sweet grass that reminded her strongly of the grasslands outside Fuschia before the ground turned rocky as the elevation rose. The view was gorgeous, to be sure, but what really concerned her was the fact that she was now nowhere near the ocean. It didn't even look like she had washed up somewhere.

Hanley slowly stood and turned in a circle, trying to find some landmark or...some kind of clue. She brushed her bangs from her face, noting that even the wind was perfect, just the right amount of warmth and speed.

"Did I...die?" She certainly didn't _feel_ dead—yep, there was her pulse. Hanley huffed a bit in confusion and started to reach up to play with her necklace when she realized it was gone. She quickly felt around her neck as if she had somehow missed it the first time and practically fell to her knees to search the ground around her.

"No, no...where is it? I can't have lost it!"

Hanley searched, desperate, before sitting back on her heels in defeat. It was gone. Near tears and cursing violently enough to make a sailor blush and give pause, Hanley cobbled together a makeshift plan. She had no idea where she was, nor did she know how she got there. In times such as those she would have no choice but to enact Bullshit Plan A: walk around like a fucking moron and hope for the best. She and Luffy had perfected that plan after years of getting lost and being unable to navigate their way out of a paper bag.

Ace frequently laughed himself sick at the both of them.

Hanley stood and started walking, following the music and taking in the idyllic scenery. It was almost _too_ perfect, and that freaked her out more than being lost. The wind made it difficult to pinpoint the direction of the music; surely once she found the source she'd find people. Hanley trooped along until she reached what looked to be the coast. The beaches were a pristine white (unsurprisingly), and the water was crystal clear and a rather beautiful shade of turquoise. Unfortunately it was just as lifeless and gave her no hint as to where she ended up.

'Maybe...maybe I somehow ended up in the Calm Belt? It's certainly calm enough...' Hanley briefly considered going into the water, but she chose to wait. If it was the Calm Belt it would be her luck if she became a Sea King's lunch. No doubt they'd find her tough and stringy, but that would be poor consolation after the mauling. With that in mind she stuck to the beach, idly digging her toes in the fine sand and water (and there went another pair of shoes—at least she kept her shorts this time). Hanley had no idea how much time as passed; strangely, was it just her or was the sun not moving? She eyed it suspiciously for a bit before shrugging. That was the least of her problems.

Thankfully her travels turned up something in the distance. She could just make out a long pier jutting out into the water, and at the end sat a lone figure with what appeared to be a fishing rod. Relieved, Hanley picked up her speed until she was in a full sprint, quickly covering the distance.

"Hey there!" she called, waving her hands. Coming closer she could see that it was a rather giant, muscular man, simply dressed in a black tank and long, black trousers. Hanley jumped onto the wooden pier, slowing with shock as she approached him. He was dark skinned and covered in indigo scales situated in a pattern that was far too familiar. Hanley pushed up her sleeve to check her own dark blue ones as if to verify the observation. The man's back was to her, his black hair was thick and long and gnarled as if he hadn't combed it in days and threaded with colored beads; the red bandana he wore on his head was well-worn and faded.

He didn't seem to notice her approach, humming along to the sea song still playing in the air.

"_...O were you down in Fuller Bay?/ D'you lie with her upon the hay?/ That bonnie lass with eyes of blue/ and ruffled dress and flaxen hair?/ O were you ever in Darby's Shore/ binding twine upon the moor?/ Lost five gold I've gambled away/ I then returned to Fuller Bay./ From betwixt the reeds to open sea/ I've not found a lovelier girl than she./ That bonnie lass with eyes of blue/ and ruffled dress and flaxen hair_."

"Hello?" asked Hanley, almost loathe to interrupt. The man abruptly stopped singing and tilted his head to the side.

"...Ah." He set his rod aside and raised a hand, motioning her closer. Hanley hesitated (he was rather large...bigger than Arlong even) before moving forward to stand beside him. The man peered up at her, gold eyes partially hidden by his jet black hair. She had a hard time pinning his age, made all the more difficult with his mustache and the patch of hair on his chin. His smile was friendly enough, however, even if he looked two seconds away from curling up for an afternoon nap.

"Hello." Hanley offered once more, shyly. The skin around man's eyes crinkled as he smiled more widely, clearly pleased.

"Hello, Hanley."

His gaze was affectionate as he patted the spot beside him. Strangely enough, Hanley felt oddly affectionate towards him as well; she was sure she had never met him, but...

"Please, sit. I'm glad we could meet like this," he said as he lifted the rod once more and cast his lure into the water. Hanley watched him silently for a few moments before clearing her throat.

"Er, how's it biting?" she asked, at a loss for what to say.

"It isn't. There are no fish in this area."

'Okay...what the fuck...'

"If there aren't any fish here, then—"

"I simply find the action relaxing." He smiled and carefully scratched his beard. "I've been wanting to talk to you for quite some time, love. Didn't think it'd be here, though."

Hanley swung her legs, like a child sitting in a too-big chair, her feet barely touching the water.

"Where is here?"

The man hummed again, softly.

"Have you ever heard of a place called Fiddler's Green?"

"Fiddler's..." Hanley cast her mind back to the pubs of Green Harbor, sure she had heard of it before. The passing sailors often sang songs about it, but the memories just slipped her by.

"_Now Fiddler's Green is a place I've heard tell/ Where the fishermen go if they don't go to hell_..."

Hanley sucked in her breath, sharply.

"Then...then I am...?"

The man laughed softly then, but it wasn't mocking. He lifted a large hand and placed it carefully on the crown of her head.

"No, love, you don't have to be _dead_ to visit Fiddler's Green...but you will become dead if you stay too long, so unfortunately we do not have much time."

"Then...how did I get here?"

"The entranceway to Fiddler's Green pops up randomly, ev'ry fifty years or so, give or take a season. It can't be seen by normal people, so oft'times a crew will suddenly find themselves in paradise and never leave. But to you...it appeared like a hellish, gaping maw in the sea, did it not? Wouldn't serve much purpose if people could see...they'd avoid it, wouldn't they?"

She froze in shock before she pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes, moaning in pain. Why? She knew her life wouldn't be uneventful, but even she was hoping for something less goddamned weird!

"I...would rather not be that special."

Another deep, bark of laughter and he ran his fingers through her hair. It honestly should have bothered her, but it didn't.

"Can't help but be that special, love. Your blood wouldn't let it be otherwise. Now, what to say..." he rolled his shoulders and sighed. "I've been imagining this for a while, you know, but now I can't seem to find the words..."

Hanley ran a loose thread from Sanji's shirt between her forefinger and thumb, thinking of something to say, herself.

"Let's start at the beginning. You know my name...Krut Hanley."

"Yes, a good start. My name is Kadru Wadatsumi."

And once again the warmth in her heart stuttered and died.

"You...that name..."

"Yes, that Arlong has such an ugly, big mouth." His gold eyes were still half-lidded, lazily blinking despite the nasty snarl. The tone didn't suit him at all, and Hanley bit her lip, not sure what to do. This was the man that was with Handerson...they even shared the same family name. A relative of some kind, then? He must have been—the scales put him as the same race at the very _least_.

"So you worked with her, then?"

"It was complicated, Hanley. Times have gotten increasingly complicated—the explosion in the human population, the alliance and formation of the World Government, and later, the age of piracy. Still, I am not proud of the me, then. Handerson had me wrapped around her little finger, although that's no excuse."

"So, what, were you married at one point? Siblings?"

"Ha! No, not even. Distant cousins...very, very distant. All snakes are named Kadru, and Wadatsumi is a religious title left over from history. But we don't have time for all that."

"Well, I'd still kinda like to know."

Wadatsumi grunted, "Unfortunately, we do not. I wanted to warn you that hard times are coming, Hanley, and Handerson must be avoided at all costs."

Hanley rolled her eyes.

"Kinda got that point, Master Thai told me about it."

Wadatsumi's eyes narrowed and his snarl returned.

"Oh, yes, that miserable bastard. I was so disappointed to see that he was still alive, even though I knew he was your best chance for surviving at that time."

Hanley blinked in surprise.

"So...you were watching me, then?"

"For a long time, love. And I...wish I could keep watching you." His gold eyes suddenly became more intense, and Hanley sat, transfixed upon them.

"...Why do you hate him so much?"

Wadatsumi shrugged.

"He left Lotus to die. As a father, as her lover, that is something I cannot abide."

"Lotus?"

"His daughter. The name of your mother. I loved her very much; she was the only person I did love until she was pregnant with you."

Hanley couldn't claim to be a genius, not by a very long shot, but even she could pick up on the not so subtle clues. At first she didn't know what to think or how to react. The similarities between them were now kinda blatant, and it explained the odd sense of familiarity and affection even though they had, in all technicality, never met. Should she hug him? Cry? Scream at him? Was he here the whole time, what should she—?

"You," Hanley finally settled on croaking out some kind of response, "are my...then this really is the afterlife..."

"As I said, Fiddler's Green is a special sort of anomaly. I don't really belong here, but its nature allows me to manifest for a short time." Wadatsumi sighed heavily. "I'm in danger of fading out."

"Then...my magatama, what was that, then?"

"If you must ask that question then you must have some idea."

'Ugh, can't just tell me, can you? Guess it's not in the Mysterious Mentor job description.'

Hanley thoughtfully scratched her chin, putting everything together. It was difficult—it had been a very rough day. Was it even the same day anymore?

"It was a gift left by my father...that's what my adoptive grandparents..." A crazy thought occurred to her then; good thing she was near full up on crazy. "It's you? How can you be an inanimate object?"

"Come now, love. You knew it was sentient, up to a point, at least."

"I, yes..."

"Aware enough to warn you of impending danger; aware enough to get angry at you. Is it so surprising, then?"

"I...no?"

Wadatsumi gently ruffled her short hair before continued.

"Magatama are a physical representation of what could be called 'soul', although what exactly makes up a soul is really up for philosophical debate. I was dying, Lotus was dying and in the midst of a very painful, difficult labor. My magatama was...the best I could do for the both of you."

Hanley swallowed and turned back to watch the still, turquoise waters.

"How?"

Wadatsumi sighed, looking unsettled rather than half asleep for the first time since they began their conversation.

"Snakes are...let me put it this way: there is an energy within everyone. There are two broad ways this energy can manifest. A select few can access a third, but as you lack the character for it you do not possess it, so I won't spend any time on that right now. There have been many names for this energy, but what's important that you know is that snakes are quite good at using it. The best users can combine it, play with it...all in all, you could say it's our talent."

Hanley nodded, showing she was listening. Was this what Kuroobi meant earlier when they fought? Now that she thought about it, he seemed genuinely surprised she couldn't use any techniques of her family. Wadatsumi seemed to know what she was thinking about and continued.

"Yes, that's exactly it. The creation of 'magatama' is a unique application of this energy. Using the first form we 'perceive' the soul. Using the second form we compact the soul into something more tangible. Every magatama is different as every soul is different. Handerson made a past time of collecting them because she could."

'How unsurprising, the sadist.'

"But...it sounds horrible! Taking someone's soul like that...why?"

"Power, what else? With the proper creativity, magatama can fuel all sorts of endeavors. Outside of its prison of flesh, the soul becomes quite the powerful thing. And that sort of power is the height of temptation. But I do not think that is something you would do."

"Of course not!"

"But I ask you this, and only because I know this is something far more applicable. You have a hard time letting things go, daughter. You are like both your grandparents in that regard. If someone you loved was dying, would you be able to resist taking them with you, even in that form?"

'Would I do that?...if someone I loved...'

Luffy, Ace, Master Thai...and she was caring more for Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp everyday. Could she do that to them? The thought of them ever being injured to that point was something she didn't want to consider, anyway—but giving them a half life? Hanley stared at her hands, thoughtful.

"Did she make yours, then? Is that why you died?"

"No, she was only responsible for mortally wounding me. I wasn't going to survive, so I created my own magatama and sent it with your mother out to sea. That's what really finished me off."

Hanley was floored—and ashamed she had ever once thought he never cared for either her or her mother. He all but killed himself for them, to give them a chance at survival that probably wasn't guaranteed. Hanley was rather surprised she didn't cry at the revelation...instead, she felt fierce pride. He didn't regret it, so she won't sob all over him for it.

It was difficult, however, especially when she remembered what he said earlier.

"You said you were fading. So a soul can only last so long outside of the underworld or something?"

"It depends on the circumstances, person, and the strength of the individual, really. Normally, I'd have lasted far longer, centuries even, but I expended quite a bit of my strength a couple of times recently."

'How? If he was already weakening it would explain his rather delayed reactions lately...if he reacted at all...'

"You're the one that brought me here!" Hanley jumped up and pointed at him accusingly. Wadatsumi shrugged in agreement. Judging from his attitude, crossing dimensions was, apparently, something he did as a matter of course. Stumbling headfirst into some kind of portal to the after life due to horrible luck was one thing, but actually ripping open the wormhole itself?

"I had to send your mother away twenty years ago...and I had to bring you back. This is your home."

"But that was my life! And my friends could have died! Hell, other than Natsuhiko they probably are dead! Do you have _any_ idea what I've been through because of you?"

"I wish I could tell you that they all survived. I, myself, do not know. And I am not sorry for doing what I could to protect you. I'd have still brought you here even if the entire village of Hakube was with you...women, children, and all. And don't tell me you seriously think you would have been better off. If I could have figured out how to do it, best believe Handerson would have. But we are once more getting off track, love." Wadatsumi's tone and expression became serious. "Let's go back to before: you saw the entrance to Fiddler's Green."

Hanley pursed her lips angrily but was forced to concede. It was rather a moot point _now._

"It wasn't all that clear, but, yeah...like you said, gaping maw in the middle of the ocean—hard to miss." Hanley plopped back down into a sitting position on the pier. "A part of that energy? But..."

"You've probably also noticed your body changing. They may have even been confusing changes—"

"I know you're my dad and all, but Makino-san already covered this several years ago."

It was rather gratifying when Wadatsumi laughed even if Hanley didn't think the statement was all that funny; still, it took him quite a while to bring himself back under control.

"I'm not speaking of that. But don't you ever remember a time where something strange happened?"

Hanley then snapped her fingers. "Krieg! I poisoned him, bit him...did something."

"Indeed. Honestly, you surprised me. You must have very strong feelings for that boy for you to change prematurely and without training."

Well, when he put it like that...Hanley felt strangely...strange. Embarrassed? She colored and settled for glaring out towards the sea, willing her stomach to calm. There was nothing wrong with it...

"Ever since that time you've probably felt things...not quite precognitive, but bits of intuition that you could not explain."

"I...guess? How can I tell the difference? I mean, people get 'feelings' all the time."

"Eh, sadly I'm not the best person to ask about that. That form of energy...I was never good at it. I'm surprised I even managed my magatama at all, much less whilst half dead and in pain. That is something that you'll have to figure out and work with it. But quick lesson: trust those instincts, they'll surprise you. On the other hand, be careful. You're very sensitive it looks like, as you _were_ able to see Fiddler's Green, at least somewhat. You could end up confusing yourself, going crazy. The lines between worlds can be tenuous. Handerson is just as sensitive, so I suspect it didn't help."

"Oh, great." That didn't bode well for her at _all_. She already looked like the woman.

"I want you to meditate and do the best you can in controlling that other side of yourself. It worked out fine, before. The man you killed deserved it, but that might not always be the case. For now, you will be on your own in training it. It's not fair, but it's what we have."

"Okay." Hanley took this to heart and memory as best she could. If he was fading, this was probably the only instruction she was ever going to get. She highly doubted Handerson would drop on by and suddenly gain some maternal instincts. Hell, it sounded like Handerson was directly responsible for her own daughter's death, if Master Thai had an indirect part in it.

Hanley just hoped she didn't go crazy like her maternal grandmother did. Wasn't that kind of shit hereditary? Talk about being doomed.

"But you are my daughter. I believe...I know you will pull through." Wadatsumi paused and tilted his head as he listened for something on the wind. "Our time is up. We need to get you and your friends out of here."

"My friends...they're here, too?"

"Naturally. They followed you. You...have wonderful nakama. I'm relieved. I confess, I was worried when you became close with those two boys. People with D...they always live such turbulent lives."

"Huh, D?"

"Nothing. Come, the longer we dally the more dangerous it becomes. But before it's too late, I am very proud, Hanley." He hugged her tightly, briefly, before standing with a soft groan.

Hanley couldn't help but beam at him, feeling as if she were ten again. This was...this was such a wonderful feeling. She vowed to keep it close.

"I...love you, too. Oyaji."

Wadatsumi made an odd, rumbling sound deep in his chest in response, then he carefully took both her hands in his. They easily dwarfed hers, even though she was already taller than the average human. Just how big was she going to get, now that she thought about it?

"Before we go, I have this one last, important thing to tell you. If nothing else, this will be _the_ most important thing I tell you. Will you heed me?"

'This must be serious, considering what he already said...' What was he going to tell her—another warning about her family? Some hint to make sure she wasn't a danger to anyone? More information about that special energy?

"Of course, Oyaji."

Wadatsumi took a deep breath. Hanley held hers.

"...Never trust men."

Hanley could feel her brain process the words for interpretation, but somehow they still did not click.

"... … … ...I'm sorry?"

"Never trust men. Now, I know you're twenty, but you've been isolated and I don't think that asshole Thai was strict enough. I don't mind your choice in husband, in fact, I'm rather glad. The boy's an idiot, he won't do anything. That Ace kid, though, you watch yourself. And I don't like the way that Sanji looks at you—best watch him, too."

'...Huh?'

"...and always keep yourself covered. Handerson was a little too free in that aspect, liked walking around naked. Don't do that, seriously. I don't suppose you could stop wearing those bikinis? Maybe a one piece suit? Because men really cannot be trusted, and they will look at you. Also, try not to kick too much, that's un-ladylike."

'...I...'

"Sports bras are the best, really. Push ups lead to carnal sin, your mother can attest to that—"

* * *

Sanji

And to think, the day had started out so well.

"Sanji-kun, are you done?" Nami called, her voice barely heard over the howling wind and crashing waves. Sanji pushed his bangs from his eyes, although it was a rather futile gesture in this weather. He double checked his knots before calling down to her on the deck below.

"Haaaaai, Nami-swaaaaan!"

"Good, Sanji-kun!"

Sanji swooned a bit, then cursed when the ship bucked and nearly sent him flying overboard. It was rather amazing that Nami predicted the storm suddenly forming, but that didn't make it any easier to deal with. He was completely and totally drenched and the bones in his hands ached from fighting with the thick ropes to secure the sails. Of course, he was damned if he would complain when dear Nami needed his help.

The rain stung his eyes as he jumped nimbly down to the main deck. He was the last to enter the cabin/galley/mess hall area; the others were just as wet and miserable, while Nami was busying herself with trying to chart a course through the inclement weather that would let them, at the very least, keep _up_ with the Rear Admiral's massive galleon. The smaller caravel simply couldn't cut through the waves like it could, despite being more maneuverable.

That bastard.

What sort of man treated a woman that way? It was beyond shameful! Thinking about it got his blood boiling, and he had to busy himself with trying to salvage the damp pack of cigarettes in his pocket. Sanji managed to find one dry enough to ignite, which he did so with relish.

"What are we going to do?" Usopp hadn't really stopped screaming since he, Zoro, and Luffy jumped on board and they all but raced out of port.

Sanji took a deep drag from his cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

"What else? We will save Hanley-sama!" Sanji cheerfully ignored Usopp's disgusted look, too busy imagining his daring rescue. It involved explosions and artfully ripped clothing. There really was something about a woman wearing a man's shirt...

"That goes without saying." Zoro commented from his usual spot on the floor by the starboard portal. Luffy didn't provide any sort of answer, which was strange in and of itself. Sanji hadn't been on the crew all that long, but he quickly figured out that you could always count on Luffy to have his hand in something.

Luffy couldn't even manage to be completely silent whilst sleeping.

But he was certainly silent now; grim, even, if Sanji had to pinpoint it. His pupils were dilated, there were veins throbbing in his temple and he seemed determined to grind his teeth down to the roots.

"Right, this is bad...if we can't catch up soon, we'll..." Nami started.

"What's the problem? We catch up to them and cut them to pieces." It wasn't often that Sanji would agree with Marimo—only he would substitute cutting for tap dancing on that shitty marine's face.

Nami sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"The problem is the time frame we're working with. Catching up to a ship that size is doable if we're smart about it, but we're not going to have a big window to do it in. If I'm right, they're heading for a very dangerous area. If they reach the Calm Belt it's over."

'Calm Belt...?' Sanji thought. The name sounded vaguely familiar, but for the life of him Sanji couldn't really recall what that meant.

"It's a place where there is no wind," Nami continued to explain, not expecting them to know, "that is a problem for ships such as ours, but the worst of it is that it's where Sea Kings nest."

"S-Sea Kings...?" whimpered Usopp.

'Oh, that's right—didn't the old man mention something about that?'

"Huh, that could be a problem," Zoro commented.

"That's more than a problem! Maybe the Marines won't go that way?"

Nami could only shrug.

"I can only assume the Marines have a way of passing through unimpeded. Grand Line is beyond the Calm Belt."

Sanji leaned further back in his chair, to the point that he was putting all his weight on the back two legs.

"So what should we do, Nami-san?"

"Well, in all probability...we won't catch up in time. All we can do is hope they don't actually _enter_ the Calm Belt." Nami's reply was blunt, although she looked to be thoroughly unhappy with saying so.

Luffy stood abruptly, fists clenched and clearly furious.

"I don't care where they're going! I'm not going to let such a little thing stop me! We're going to chase them all through Grand Line if we have to!"

Nami smiled brightly and nodded.

"I thought so. Let me worry about getting us close! They won't be getting away from me!"

"Yosh!"

Not to be outdone, Sanji shot up as well.

"I'll protect you with my body, Nami-swaaan!"

"Ha, I don't want to see what would happen if she finds out we didn't run ourselves ragged." Zoro heaved himself to his feet and went outside to help as well. "It'll be a lot of work navigating through this storm—if you couldn't do at least this much, you've no business being navigator."

"Don't you dare insult Nami-san, you damn—" Sanji didn't have the chance to give the man the kick he deserved; Nami was dragging him back outside to adjust the rigging on the main sail.

The next few hours were long and seemed to do nothing more than drag on slowly across his consciousness. Sanji was proud to say he stood by Nami through it all, only moving back inside when she did to warm herself and check her charts. Sanji figured out earlier on that she had pretty much memorized them already, but she had to do something productive with her hands. It was going to be a close thing, not counting boarding the ship and fighting through who knows how many marines. Sanji himself paced a bit to keep his feet from freezing and going completely numb. Luffy stubbornly stayed outside through it all—he didn't even look cold, just angry. They could just make out the lantern on the galleon's sterncastle most of the time; they weren't losing them, but they also weren't gaining on them, either.

Usopp was gamely hanging on in the crow's nest, looking ahead with his spyglass. Sanji wasn't one to care for men, but he was sympathetic that the high position aggravated Usopp's stomach to the point of sea sickness. After he heaved for the third time Sanji was even considering taking over briefly when his panicked shout cried out over the pouring rain and wind.

"We're in trouble, they disappeared!"

"WHAT?" the rest of them cried out in shock, joining Luffy by the prow.

It was true: the galleon had simply vanished in mid-air as if it had never been there to begin with. Sanji chewed on the butt of his sodden cigarette, distressed.

'Hanley-samaaaaa...!'

"I don't understand..." Nami muttered as she looked skyward to gauge the windspeed. "They couldn't have turned that quickly, or suddenly gained enough speed for us to lose them..."

Luffy, agitated, swung up to Usopp's position to get a better look himself. He perched on the side of the nest and peered out into the sea.

"It really is gone! What'd that bastard do?"

"How did you lose them? They weren't even a league away," asked Zoro, the calmest out of all of them.

"I didn't, I swear! It really was there a minute ago!" Usopp's protests fell on largely deaf ears as they stared outward. Sanji idly wondered if the galleon would appear if they simply willed it hard enough.

"Maybe...maybe we veered off course somewhere. Let me check the charts one more time..." Nami shook her head and started to head back into the cabin.

Sanji immediately rushed to her side. How could he not, when her face looked so sad? Wasn't it now, during times of strife, that a man's true character was revealed?

Exactly.

"Don't fret, Nami-san! You'll figure it out!"

Nami's lips twitched and nodded.

"Of course. Still, let me check...it's just...weird...No ship vanishes without good reason."

"Monsters?" Zoro suggested.

Usopp wailed.

"Don't even joke like that! Argh!"

In any case, they didn't have long to worry over the issue. The Going Merry was steadily sailing along one moment, the next it was pitching forward as if it was riding down a steep, mountain river. Sanji managed to grab Nami as they slid forward across the main deck. Zoro quickly grabbed one of the lines that had gone loose and tossed the excess length their way. Sanji wrapped one arm around it; he wasn't able to enjoy holding Nami, sadly, not with them in danger of capsizing. He shouted when Luffy was thrown clear off the crow's nest towards the sea. A quick stretch of the arm saved him before he hit the water as he grabbed one of the figurehead's horns.

"W-W-What's going on? Why are we falling?" Usopp shrieked as he clung to the main mast.

"How should I know?" Sanji had never seen anything like it. The sea _was_ there, but they were definitely being sucked into something they couldn't even see. Poor Nami was screaming wildly.

"Whoo! Maybe Hanley's down here!" Luffy was the only one enjoying himself. His rubber body swayed in the wind without a care as they plummeted to their possible deaths. Sanji was started to notice a disturbing pattern about his captain that probably didn't bode well for future health.

He rather hoped not, he'd yet to enjoy, er, manly things.

"We're going to die!"

'Well said, Usopp.'

The world was inexplicably collapsing in on itself with no rhyme or reason. Sanji knew how vast the sea was, how impossible things could, suddenly, become possible which stretched even the most brilliant of imaginations. Sanji knew this, but it was quite another thing to see it. After pitching downward to the point of near sickness the Going Merry started to tilt sideways as if it was now in a true free-fall. The sea seemed to reach up to swallow them, then they were covered in darkness. Sanji's ears popped as they spun around and then—

Paradise.

The sky was a deep, gorgeous blue and the sea was the clearest he had ever seen. Sanji slowly sat up, gazing around him in wonder...and no small bit of confusion. There were no waves, so the Going Merry sat in the shallows peacefully with no visible damage to its hull despite their seeming...plummet? Nami was trembling, and Sanji quite enjoyed having his arm around her shoulders until she shoved him off.

'Ah, she is so forceful! This is the Nami-san I admire!'

Usopp groaned from his position by the mast. He was leaning against it, completely traumatized.

"So this is it...we died. We are now in heaven."

Zoro scratched his head.

"Doubt it. Or if we are there really isn't any justice in the world." He jerked his thumb to their port side. Several meters away the Rear Admiral's galleon was anchored. It was completely silent expect for the occasional sound of shifting, creaking wood.

"Hanley!" Luffy swung his arms back and then forward, stretching across the distance. He managed to reach the ship's gunwale and grabbed hold.

"Luffy, wait—" Nami started to stand, but he ignored her and shot over to the galleon. They watched as he landed and promptly vanished below deck. "Argh! This is too dangerous! We have to go after him!"

It took some doing to get Usopp back on his feet, but soon they were leaping over the side into the shallows. Sanji paused as they ran over, taking in the unending green fields that made up the inland.

'Where the hell are we? Is this...the Calm Belt? Are we stranded?' He shook his head and easily caught up to the rest of his crew. It took him two leaps to get aboard and toss down the rope ladder for Nami and Usopp to use. The galleon itself was an, admittedly, beautiful vessel. It was old-fashioned and the scroll work on the dark wood was ornate and decorative. While that Rear Admiral bastard didn't seem to command a particularly large fleet, he certainly found a way to flaunt his status using other means.

But, that didn't explain why it was so silent.

"Luffy!...where are you?" Usopp called as the others looked around. It looked as if the crew had suddenly decided to abandon their posts and leave it to rot. Sanji tried to mentally calculate just how many men it would take to man a vessel this large, when Nami's high-pitched scream pierced through the air.

"Nami-san!"

"She's this way!" Zoro and Sanji practically fought each other to get down to the lower deck, with Usopp following distantly behind. Nami wasn't far from the stairs, collapsed on the ground beside a body. As Sanji grew closer he immediately saw the issue.

"What the hell is that?"

Nami turned to them shakily.

"I...I saw him lying there so I touched his arm to see if...but it suddenly fell off!"

The hapless crewman was slumped over a cart, his limbs hanging limply over the sides...well, what was left of them. Sanji could see the right arm she must have touched lying on the ground, misshapen as if it were beginning to melt. The disturbance seemed to set off a chain reaction, causing the rest of his flesh to melt under his uniform. Usopp took one look at the sight and fainted.

Nami quickly turned to revive him, eager for an excuse not to look at the corpse. Sanji hummed and knelt by the body, examining it.

"What do you think happened?"

Zoro scratched his chin before kneeling as well. He promptly stuck two fingers in the goo, causing Nami and Usopp to retch.

"As I thought," he muttered as he rubbed the substance between his fingers and thumb. "This is clay."

"Clay? Didn't that asshole say he ate the Dose Dose no Mi?"

"Aa. I'm not liking this at all. He made this guy...who knows how much of his crew was the same?"

"A golem, then?" Nami looked relieved as she took a second look. "But it's so realistic..."

It was _too_ realistic. It may just be a practical explanation as to why he was in the habit of appropriating the pirate crews he had captured as his own, but something about this wasn't right. At all.

It made Sanji wonder just how he kept those pirates in line. It made him wonder just how many golems he could make. It would seem they were lucky the ship was seemingly deserted—on top of being intangible, the bastard was capable of making clay soldiers that would probably never tire nor feel pain. Zoro's scowl deepened as he wiped his fingers off on his pants. As the group passed countless other golems in various stages of decomposition (those that were actually still relatively whole...there were quite a few with missing body parts), it was starting to look more and more like a murder scene. All one had to do was substitute the brown clay for bright red blood and it'd be right out of one of his mystery novels that he totally didn't indulge in every evening by candlelight.

Usopp stepped carefully over what used to be someone's torso with a grimace.  
"This is terrifying...and Luffy is nowhere to be found...what if Hanley—"

"Hanley-sama wouldn't die from a little thing like this!" Sanji protested. But Usopp raised a good point. Oh, what to do! His enchanting maiden of the sea!

"_Dismembered bodies aren't little things!_"

Sanji ignored him in favor of examining the corridors. They had reached a fork, and who knows how the paths diverged beyond that. The galleon was truly far larger than what he was used to.

"We'll never find either of them this way," Zoro groused, "we should split up. Let's meet back here in twenty minutes."

Usopp looked both horrified and resigned. Nami didn't look too enthusiastic either, but they were getting nowhere and it really was worrisome that they hadn't run into Luffy yet. The galleon _was_ large, but not that large.

Sanji, however, saw an opportunity.

"I'll protect you, Nami-swaaaan!"

Nami blinked slowly before turning down a corridor.

"No, thank you."

'Alas!'

Zoro chose to back track from where they came, leaving Sanji with Usopp. Usopp slowly shook his head and sighed.

"Well, guess I've lived a good life."

Sanji left Usopp to take what was left of this level and headed deeper below deck.

The chaos was even worse below. The floors were covered with debris, colored gems, and wet clay. Sanji made a face as his rather nice leather boots sunk into the mess. How disgusting. He wandered for a little longer and nearly decided to turn back when he caught the faint strains of music coming from deeper in the ship.

'Hm, that's weird.'

He'd be late to meet back, but it could be worth checking out. Sanji traced the music down to the fourth level—the holding cells. He passed the first two cells, empty, before reaching the last. It had a single bed and chair, and unlike the other two it was occupied. The man there was slender, wearing all black with overcoat, tunic, trousers, and sash. His gloved hands were playing a rapid little tune on the concertina in his lap. The man's back was to him, so Sanji cleared his throat to get his attention.

"Oi. Are you a prisoner?" Sanji asked, before taking note of the clay staining the man's fingers and shoes. "Hey, were you the one who did—"

"It's not as if they were actually real...well, in the sense that matters. Shame, really." The reply was soft, and Sanji had to strain to hear it.

Sensing that this man was more than he seemed (dangerous), Sanji briefly considered his approach. He liked fighting just as much as the next man, but he preferred discretion when possible.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"I'm not supposed to be anyone. You are the ones who came to my island."

"Oh? And where is your island?" Sanji's eyes examined their surroundings once more. He wasn't really enjoying this shitty ass place, so let this guy have at it.

The man played a few more notes before shrugging. Sanji grit his teeth in irritation and crossed his arms.

"I'll ask again: who are you?"

The man turned his way and Sanji...had a hard time looking at his face. It wasn't as if his face was hideous, but it was the strangest sensation of his eyes simply being unable to focus on the man's countenance.

"You are interesting."

"I'm not into men."

"Hm." The concertina player shrugged. "I was looking for a young woman. I don't get many people that perceptive in this place and I wanted to use her."

'Young woman—could it be?'

"You'll get Hanley-sama over my dead body!"

"You'll be dead in an hour anyway. I merely want her to look for something for me." Sanji grit his teeth at the rather dismissive tone. Before he could answer, however, the man continued, "They call me 'Fiddler' but, it is so shameful to admit, I am without my violin."

"So?" Although Sanji did note it didn't really make sense to have such a name and yet play a small accordion.

Fiddler sighed softly and continued as if Sanji hadn't spoken,

"It was a beautiful instrument...made of the finest gold. The best grade collected from the treasures of ships I have caught in my waters. But then _that_ man hid it from me, tricked me into letting him and his damnable crew go...ah, well. I will find her. And you and yours will make a wonderful part of my collection."

Sanji growled and opened his mouth to retort, but was interrupted by the Fiddler suddenly standing and pushing his chair back. The concertina, to Sanji's surprise, disappeared from his grasp.

'Where the hell did we end up...?'

"Still, you are interesting. I suppose it wouldn't be fair if I didn't give you a sporting chance."

Sanji could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise and he tensed.

'I can't let him get a hold of Hanley-sama! I didn't run into Luffy, either.

...This is going to be tough.'

After years of Honor Zeff kicking at his head, Sanji well knew when someone was trying to knock his block off. He dove to the side when Fidder surged forward with blinding speed (through the iron bars, what the hell?), barely missing a sharp kick to the neck. The leg sweep was quickly followed up by another, which was easier to dodge, thankfully. Judging from the way it sliced off a few of his hairs, Sanji figured that was a good thing.

"Damn!" Sanji hissed as he slid across the deck. It was wet with water and clay, although the Fiddler didn't seem to be having nearly as much trouble. Indeed, he seemed to be easily rolling with his momentum. Sanji quickly stood and lifted his right leg to block the next swirling kick, only to dive to the side again when the Fiddler suddenly shifted his weight and aimed a high kick to his left side.

'What sort of fighting style is this? Is he dancing?' The man kept moving from side to side, making him a rather difficult target to hit. It seemed to be primarily kicked based, but...it was definitely different than Zeff's. Sanji grit his teeth as he slid _again_, covering his once clean suit with sticky clay. Oh, he was going to _kill_ this asshole.

"What is wrong?" Fiddler asked, sounding genuinely surprised. "I know you are better. Perhaps I should attack your women—will that get a response?"

'Right, to hell with this.'

"Shut your mouth, Shit-face!" Argh he was so annoying! The rhythm kept changing, but Sanji was slowly learning. Sanji ducked and performed a quick leg sweep when his opponent was in mid-cartwheel, only to have Fiddler balance on one hand, moving his other out of harm's way. His counterattack was quick but brutal, foot slamming into Sanji's back.

"Aú Batido."

Sanji grunted when he smacked face first on the deck, but Zeff's training had him rolling out of the way before the Fiddler could finish him off with a powerful drop kick. Sanji paused long enough to wipe the mud off his face, clearing his vision.

"What kind of crazy fighting style..."

"If you think this crazy, you have not seen much."

It was still an exercise in frustration, as Fiddler was in constant movement, his basic stance easily evaded Sanji's attacks while giving him the best position to launch his own offense. Sanji didn't know what was more galling—the fact that he had yet to land a solid hit, or that the Fiddler was clearly toying with him. Sanji hadn't been so badly outmatched since sparring with Zeff with his goddamned _one leg_.

Finally, he had enough.

Sanji feinted to the left then right in a move that blatantly copied the Fidder's constantly shifting stance, surprised at how easy it was to incorporate it into his own movements. He managed to squeak past the Fiddler and dashed down a side passage. He needed to get this monster away from his crew.

'My crew...this is the first time I really thought of it that way.'

Zeff was a father-figure (not that he'd ever voice it) and the others at Baratie fellow chefs and companions. But nakama? That was a new feeling. Especially since it included his male crewmates (practically unheard of, really, surprised even himself).

'Heh...listen to me go on like this...' Still, he liked it.

Sanji charged headfirst down the passage, looking for a way to climb up to the main deck. With the Fiddler close on his heels, he didn't have much of an opportunity to stop and consider his route.

"Come on...keep following me, you faceless asshole..."

"Trying to lead me away?" Mother fucker didn't even have the decency to sound winded. "This is the second time someone tried this with me. Companionship is a beautiful thing."

"As if you would know!" Sanji punctuated his sentence with a powerful rear kick. Naturally, it just missed its target, but he wasn't really expecting it to connect anyway.

"You are...too stiff."

"Wha—"

"Armada." Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the Fiddler's attack. Sanji crossed his arms over his chest just in time to avoid a heel to the gut, which was the only good thing about being kicked through a thick wooden wall. Sanji cursed and gasped for breath as he slammed into his back and went into yet another wall before stopping. He picked himself out of the debris, hissing softly.

'This is...too shameful...' Save for Zeff, he was the best fighter Baratie had...was this all he could do? This pathetic display? At this rate Fiddler will stomp him into paste and go after dear Nami-san and Hanley-sama! Unacceptable!

Sanji glared at the now motionless Fiddler, who was watching him from the large hole he'd created. It was too weird, not being able to focus on someone's face. Why was that? Just where the hell did they end up?

"You are too stiff," Fiddler repeated. "For your age and experience, your strength is good, your technique is better...but you do not flow with your attacks."

"What is this..." Was he actually being taught? What a strange fucking thing! "Why?"

The Fiddler shrugged and rolled his shoulders, tilting his head as if listening for something in the distance.

"You dream of that place."

'That place? All Blue? What does...' Sanji was torn out of his thoughts when the other man continued.

"What is All Blue? Do you truly know?"

Sanji frowned thoughtfully, unsure as to why they were even having this conversation. Of course, how that guy knew about his dream in the first place...

"The place where all seas meet, where there is enough bounty for a chef like myself to last an entire life time. What more need there be?" Sanji answered.

"Quite right. Sometimes...a simple reason is all anyone needs. For you, that place is paradise. I am interested in paradise—I can create whatever heaven you desire. If I can make it so that the _resources_ of All Blue were at your disposal, would you still care to visit it, then? Your journey could end quite soon with no risk."

"Tch..."

"Paradise can soon be yours—"

"Shut up, Shit-Face! Like I would take such a weak offer from you! I will find All Blue and see it with my own eyes!"

"So it is not such a simple reason, then...good...you are as interesting as I thought. You believe it truly exists?"

"I know it exists."

"Then rejoice! For I can confirm that it does. But I wonder if your heart is stout enough? It is a cursed place."

Sanji shifted in place, eyes looking for a good escape route. While it was all well and good to converse with the man who spent the past few minutes kicking him around, he wasn't doing himself any favors by remaining here. He spotted a ladder that led to a higher deck—where, specifically, he did not know, but he would have to take the chance.

"I do not care."

"The way is difficult."

"Only because I have not tried before."

"Some would consider that arrogance."

"Not if I'm the one speaking it."

Sanji had the strangest sensation that Fiddler was smiling at him.

"All Blue," he said at last, "is the place where the four seas meet as one on Grand Line. The rich, wonderful bounties of every ocean in one place. But have you ever thought of what else may be there? If the good has flowed from these oceans, then would it not stand that the bad will be there as well? All the death, the ill will, congregated in one, lone spot. It is the spot of great disaster, this is the truth that I have seen. You are good, but as you are now, _Sanji—_"

"How do know my—"

"You and your crew would never survive. If I told you All Blue was Hell, would you still go?"

Sanji huffed in irritation.

"You talk too much."

"I see. Then let me bring you paradise now so you won't suffer in the future."

If that wasn't a cue Sanji didn't know what was.

However, he was ready. He kicked off the ground using the strength he had been quietly building in his legs. It also served to enhance his speed, as Fiddler was demolishing his resting place all but a second later. Screw the ladder, Sanji was making his own way out. He twisted and kicked the ceiling above him, demolishing it. He ignored the splintered wood and other carnage as he grabbed a makeshift ledge and flipped up to the next level. He didn't stop there, jumping again to give the ceiling above him sharp, powerful kick to open up another exit. This time, he had finally lucked out—he was on the main deck. Sanji grunted as he landed by what had to be the quarter deck on the massive galleon.

"Oi! Sanji!"

"Sanji-kun!"

Sanji jumped slightly and looked overboard. He saw Usopp and Nami standing in the shallows, looking no worse for the wear. Sanji smiled broadly.

"Nami-swaaaan!"

"HEY!" Usopp crossed his arms and sighed. "What's going on? We heard some kind of racket!"

"That's right..." Sanji muttered.

Nami added, "We lost Luffy and Zoro never came back to the rendezvous point!"

"Marimo never came back?"

Nami gave a bone deep sigh of torment.

"That man has no sense of direction. I forgot in all the excitement."

"T-This is awful, we're dropping like flies..." whimpered Usopp. Sanji had to admit this was quickly turning out like one of his suspense light novels that he also never indulged in by candlelight, perish the thought. Then he shook his head—he had to focus.

"Usopp! Take Nami-san somewhere safe and hide! There's a really powerful guy here!"

"I thank you for your compliment."

Sanji was unable to dodge this time as a foot came crashing down on his back, driving him through the gunwale. The edge of the deck dug into his abdomen and he scarcely avoided smashing his head against the hull.

"S-Shit..." Sanji coughed as he tried to regain his breath.

"Sanji!"

"Sanji-kun!"

"Run!..."

Usopp's and Nami's screams seemed to only go higher in pitch and volume as Fiddler ground his heel in Sanji's back.

"Dear God have mercy. Save us from this monster, dear God have mercy—" Usopp chanted as Nami grabbed the back of his overalls and started to drag him away towards the shoreline.

"We're going, Sanji-kun!"

Fiddler sighed as he watched them try to escape.

"Shall I bring that woman paradise?"

Sanji was moving before his mind had even processed pushing off the deck and spinning his legs around. The Fiddler jumped back to evade but was caught in the ribs with a hard heel kick.

"Côtelette!" Sanji spun on his hands to bring his other foot around and landed a blow on the Fiddler's lower back. "Sélle!"

The Fiddler flew forwards across the deck, rolling twice before he dug his gloved fingers into the deck wood, thoroughly gouging it but quickly bringing himself to a stop.

"My my...you're one of those annoying types on top of everything else. Fighters that suddenly grow in strength mid-fight are irritating."

Sanji didn't speak, far too angry to do so and still trying to catch his breath around the fierce aching in his diaphragm.

"Well then, if you survive my next attacks I'll tell you about that cursed All Blue. It won't matter, in the long run, as you'll probably never leave this place. Still, it's a good deal for you."

The Fiddler slowly straightened and brushed the wood dust and splinters off his coat as his legs were suddenly engulfed in purple fire.

"Know that this is your doing—you had the chance to achieve paradise."

* * *

Krut Hanley

"The songs say that Fiddler's Green is a paradise for old sea dogs: unlimited booze, food, and music. And, technically, it's not that far off." Wadatsumi had led her further inland where they finally came across a thick, black forest. He seemed to know his way—perhaps it was more of that intuition he spoke of earlier. Hanley could hear the sound of a violin even more clearly, not that she was sure what it meant. What was also strange (well, aside the fact she was tromping through the afterlife with her dead father-turned-magatama-turned-spectre) was the speed in which the sun was setting. At first it was high in the sky, then it started dipping low as if time was moving forward at an ever increasing speed.

Hanley turned her attention back to her father.

"Why do I get the feeling that there's a 'but' in there?"

"Paradise is a tricky thing. Some find the descriptions of it to be stagnant. Others would prefer something closer to hell if simply for the stimulation. Fiddler's Green can be a paradise...but more than that, it is a collection."

"A collection?" Hanley ducked under a branch and slowed when they came to a large clearing. There was a humble two story, brick with light green roof and wrap around porch. What caught her eye was the massive collection of bottles carefully arranged on the grass. Hanley bent and peered into one, in awe of the life like models.

"Interesting, hm?"

"I'll say," Hanley murmured, "look at the details of this port town...with sailing ships...and... ...moving... ...people..."

Hanley's eyes snapped up to Wadatsumi in horror.

"Once the Fiddler adds you to his collection, you are dead. And you will never be able to leave after nightfall."

"So this Fiddler...he's a bad guy?"

"Depends. Besides, I don't know him so I can't say much about it. If he was once human, he is certainly not that anymore. Not with his life span or abilities. And morality is a slippery slope that I don't really feel up to debate."

"So, what is he, then?"

"He is no god or devil, if that's what you mean. He's not really anything—not even a bodhisattva for all his desire to bring paradise to others. All you need worry about is getting off this island before time runs out."

"Ah, right, but that's!..." Hanley sprang to her feet. "We have maybe an hour! Oh fuck, how big is this place—"

"So that's what these bottles mean..."

Hanley frowned when the door opened and Natsuhiko stepped into fading sunlight, shadowed by his massive boxer companion. He was holding one such bottle in his hand, looking contemplative as he turned it over to examine it. Hanley was glad he was alive...but pissed as this was his goddamn fault in the first place.

"Lookie here, it's Rear Admiral Douche—"

"You can be so hurtful, Han-chan."

"I've heard that before. Look, we have to get out of here. Help me find the others—"

"I've no interest in that. You heard the man." Natsuhiko's eyes raked over Wadatsumi in interest. "You're a new face."

"You've a lot of nerve bullying my daughter, boy. Know your place," Wadatsumi replied lazily. Natsuhiko's eyes narrowed shrewdly as he glanced at Hanley's neck.

"...I see. Are you going to interfere?"

Wadatsumi looked amused, as if Natsuhiko were a child, and shook his head.

"My daughter's grown up, I don't really need to." He winked at her. "She's outgrown me; inevitable, since she'll be the best lady pirate."

'Oyaji...'

Natsuhiko's expression became unreadable. Hanley didn't know if it was her insistence on piracy, or that she was refusing to play wilting flower for him. He said he wanted her to become strong, but Hanley knew..._knew_ it was a strength on his terms, that only he approved of.

"Is that how it's going to be, Han-chan?"

"Natsuhiko...you are my friend. I've learned since I came here that real friends are rare and time nor distance will come between that. I'm sorry your life was hard, but I've got my own ambitions, too. I'm not as strong as I'd like to be, but I'm not that flake you once knew, either. I wish you the best; however, if you insist on acting so stupidly then I will find a way to tie you up and keelhaul your sorry ass stem to stern."

"Heh," Natsuhiko rolled his shoulders and tossed the bottle away. It landed with a crash and liquid spread across the wooden porch. Hanley blinked at the careless consideration for the humans inside. "So, we're done? Are Luffy and Ace that good? They own you now or what?"

Hanley ignored the more racy implications of that statement and smiled fiercely instead.

"You've got it backwards, Natsuhiko: they belong to me."

Wadatsumi cough, "Oi oi..."

"Er, sorry Oyaji."

"Maybe it _is_ hereditary..." Wadatsumi mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck. Hanley choked and sputtered before kicking at him.

"I don't want to know that!"

"Violent, too. Alas, blood will tell. Well, your spirit is strong, daughter, so it's not a bad thing."

'My spirit...if that's not a hint I don't know what is.'

Natsuhiko actually looked sorrowful before holding up his hand.

"I'll make this quick. Clay Cannon."

'What's holding me back wasn't lack of strength or skill.' Hanley dodged the straightforward attack easily, wincing slightly when it crashed into various bottles. Seriously, no consideration at all! 'It was my lack of confidence, my weak heart, my weak will...'

Hanley pushed herself into Soru, uncaring if her knees would appreciate the strain or not. For once she really, truly, didn't care about the pain anymore. She'd avoid it if she could—that was only good tactics, after all, but she wouldn't let her subconscious aversion interfere. Natsuhiko engaged the technique as well and they tore across the clearing.

'My weak heart distracted me, got me captured and dragged us to this possible hell! I won't be strong off and on when it's most convenient...I'll raise my spirit all the time!' Running on the instinct that was battered into her after ten years of hardship, Hanley ran towards the house and kicked off the house at a wide angle. She could feel Natsuhiko on her heels, knew he was going to push off as well to follow her. Hanley deliberately spread her limbs to slow her speed mid-air and twisted out of Natsuhiko's reach. She saw his face twist into a brief flicker of surprise as she curled up and chambered her legs for a kick once his momentum caused him to pass under her. That same feeling came over her senses from when she bit Krieg even if the experience was a little different. Hanley had the fierce urge to bite him, to punish him, but quickly

"Sky Dragon Kick!"

Somehow her heels connected with his back. Hanley briefly wondered about that as he grunted in pain when he crashed into the ground beneath him. Hanley landed on his back and raised her claws—huh, when did her nails grow—but suddenly an image of Cassius practically knocking her head off with a powerful left straight punch caused her to abort the attack and lunge forward to roll into a defensive position three meters away.

Hanley wasn't surprised to see the large man standing over Natsuhiko but a second later, arm extended.

'So you must have concentration and a strong heart to use spirit...' The only other circumstance seemed to be near death, evidenced from when she bit Krieg after he nearly blew her up. It'd be handy when someone else would feel the need to smash her face in, but all the same she'd rather not let herself get into that state. Hanley hissed softly when she felt her body reverting back to its normal state. Seems like she couldn't hold it quite yet. But she'd figure something out.

Hanley spat the remnants of the poison from her mouth as Natsuhiko let out a laugh and hopped to his feet, no worse for the wear but pleasantly surprised.

"Wow, that was...I'm more in love than ever."

"You're a masochist. Why am I always meeting masochists—did you just say love?"

Natsuhiko hummed in amusement.

"I always have, obviously. I told you earlier the girl I liked never noticed me."

"B-But I always thought you liked what's-her-fucking-face! You were always staring in class!"

"Han-chan, you sat behind her."

"...Okay, and? I don't follow."

Natsuhiko huffed and straightened his suit.

"I never imagined you would get that technique so early. You're sequence breaking, for shame."

"What? What technique?"

"The ability to hit Logia users...the specifics didn't come until much later or never at all. But I guess..." he trailed off at the sound of heavy footsteps crashing through the bush. Wadatsumi was gone, which greatly disappointed her.

Hanley blinked when Zoro stumbled into the clearing, looking irritated. He scratched his head and looked around.

"Hn...this isn't the ship."

Hanley stared. Natsuhiko blinked. Cassius continued to gaze blankly into nothingness.

Hanley knew she didn't want to ask, would regret it once she did, but she simply had to.

"Mr. Zoro...are you lost?"

Zoro didn't answer (oh god he really was lost!), instead choosing to focus on Natsuhiko and Cassius.

"Hah, knew you'd be just fine, woman. Looks like I found you."

'Looks like you stumbled across me without meaning to.'

"Yeah...amazing." It was amazing...it truly was beyond belief and she had no words for it. "You gonna just stand there and look pretty or are you gonna use those brand new swords at your hip?"

Zoro raised an eyebrow and peered at her. Whatever he saw he must have approved of, as he nodded and unsheathed his weapons.

"I'm thinking I want to show my appreciation for these bastards making us chase them all over the damn place."

Natsuhiko idly adjusted his sleeves before making his response.

"Cassius...put a stop to this."

The boxer nodded slowly and held up his hands in a standard guard. Zoro grinned, resembling a shark circling in on a kill.

"You're strong," Zoro complimented, "that's good. I need strong opponents."

Cassius didn't answer, unsurprisingly, before blurring into action. Zoro crossed his swords to block the punch, but he grunted when the blow sent him skidding backwards.

"Mr. Zoro, you okay?" Hanley asked.

"Ha, what brute strength!..." Zoro rolled his shoulders as if to get the sensation back into his limbs. Cassius resumed his ready position. "Fine, I'll come to you!"

Natsuhiko grinned.

"Useless! Cassius's Kami-e is unparalleled!"

Hanley frowned and said, "Did you just say..."

"But-ter-fly," Cassius intoned as Zoro began swinging. The change was immediate as his muscles relaxed and he easily evaded Zoro's attacks. His body and movements were incredibly smooth as he swayed and danced with ease.

'He's practically floating...so this is Kami-e...'

Zoro growled, but didn't lose patience as he failed to connect. Then, suddenly, Cassius changed his rhythm. His muscles were still quite flexible, but his switch to offense was near instantaneous.

"Bee." He fell into a series of rapid fire jabs and punches that threatened to overwhelm the swordsman. Honestly, even with his unusual demeanor he didn't seem to be trying...putting the least amount of effort needed to succeed. Hanley trusted Zoro's strength, but it wouldn't do to ignore the very real threat before them. Various bottles crunched beneath their feet as they fought; it made Hanley very nervous to see it.

"Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"

Natsuhiko twitched in annoyance when the fist sunk into his chest but didn't move otherwise. Hanley could feel the smile stretching across her face when she saw Luffy rocket into the clearing. "Leave some for me, Zoro!"

"Ha, don't be so slow, then!" came the retort.

'As if you did this on purpose...' Hanley stood as Luffy pulled back his arm and landed in a crouch beside her.

"Ugh," he grumbled, shaking his fist. Hanley was a little surprised when he didn't cheerfully greet her with his typical, "Hi, Hanley!" She was surprised when he didn't sigh and comment sadly on her laziness that led to her getting carted off by a Marine, or why hadn't she beaten him up yet? Her mind cast about for an explanation until it finally, obviously, hit her.

Luffy was angry; really and truly _angry_.

This was new. He was, mostly, of a generally happy disposition. He wasn't quick to anger like Ace was, and sometimes she swore Ace enjoyed blowing his top—they'd certainly squabbled enough for her to suspect it. She had seen Luffy annoyed, irritated, exasperated, hold grudges, and all those other nifty little synonyms, but those moods were quick to pass even if they did occur slightly more often, rare as they were. It was just that Luffy was too...special...for it to really last long or be a bother. The closest to true rage she had seen him was recently on Sirop with Kuro and then Arlong's despicable treatment of Nami. He was painfully straightforward, more determined than most, and like his devil's fruit he bounced back without fail. It was one of the things Hanley really liked about him, no matter how exasperating his "specialness" got.

But he rarely got this angry. Thinking more on it, she hadn't even _seen_ him get this angry. And Hanley only had to glance at his face and note his teeth grinding silence that he'd managed to work himself past anger, speed right through rage, and settle on a quiet, uncharacteristic fury. She had no idea he was capable of it; well, now she knew better, and now she sort of felt like a naughty child who was about to get their ass sent into time out for gross stupidity.

She had no clue how to handle an truly furious Luffy. Ace was easy—he went off like a firecracker but it quickly burnt out. She should say something, seeing as it was her fault, but...

Natsuhiko smirked at him.

"You look as if you want to say something—"

"Why?" Luffy snapped, surprising Hanley further. Luffy usually wasn't the "why" type. But then...

"Why? Weren't you paying attention? Han-chan and I are from the same village, before she knew you. You weakling, who do you think you can protect? One day, you'll find out just how weak you are, and I won't let Hanley die because of your foolishness!"

'Yeah...still kinda here.

...Being a damsel sucks. Never again.'

Luffy scowled and retorted angrily, "She won't die!"

"Naive. I won't hear such talk from someone like you! You really have no idea—this is all just a game to you, you little hedonist!"

As Hanley thought, this was more than just whatever feelings he may have for her...or the idea of her, at least.

Luffy fell silent before adjusting his stance. Natsuhiko sneered slightly.

"Nothing to say to that? But you're still determined? We'll see how long that luck of yours last, Monkey D. Luffy." Natsuhiko's face was carefully blank as he held up his hands. Clay fell from his hands and began piling up. It quickly shaped itself into two rather mean looking soldiers.

"Qin's Terracotta."

The now solid clay soldiers twirled their lances and lunged forward with surprising speed. Luffy jumped over one and kicked the right one in the side of the head. As that one stumbled, he grabbed the other and twisted mid-air, throwing it into its brother.

"Bastard! I want to fight you!"

Natsuhiko simply made more soldiers.

"You delay the inevitable! And when the sun sets you will be left here to rot in the Fiddler's collection. But you're so stupid you probably won't know the difference."

They had to pause when Zoro and Cassius got in the way. Zoro was panting slightly while Cassius still looked fresh.

"Damn it..." Zoro cursed.

"I've had enough of you annoyances. Han-chan, why are you being so stubborn?"

He made it sound like she was the one being unreasonable!

"Why are you, Natsuhiko? This is insanity!" Hanley cried.

"Fine, then. But I will not let you die here. Come."

"Actually," a cold voice cut through the air, freezing all combatants, "you will all die."

'This feeling...' It was enough, alone, to make her want to bite off her own tongue—which she barely avoided. She didn't have to turn to guess who was speaking. Hanley took a deep breath to steady herself. Wadatsumi warned her of her sensitivity.

The grass rustled as the man approached.

"What are you children doing to my house? I put a lot of work in my collection...it will take ages to sort through this mess..." He stopped by her side and Hanley forced herself to keep her eyes on his feet.

'This is not good. The Fiddler must be pissed—we'll be lucky to get out of here alive...'

"Oh, is this your house? Sorry." Luffy didn't sound all that sorry. Hanley sighed and slapped her forehead. Yeah, of course. The Fiddler was silent for a long stretch of time before speaking.

"What a curious child...he reminds me of...well, that's not important. Your time is nearly up, foolish children. Must you squabble like this?"

Natsuhiko swallowed, wisely dispelling his terracotta soldiers.

Luffy blinked once before turning and punching Natsuhiko in the face, once more knocking his head off.

"H-Hanuman!" Hanley shrieked when the two of them began fighting again.

Natsuhiko quickly reformed his head and swung his arm, creating a whip made out of clay. Luffy rolled out of the way and retaliated with Gomu Gomu no Gatling Gun.

"That's it, I'm going to fucking kill you!" Natsuhiko snarled, wild eyed. His skin started to turn a dark brown and his body began to grow in size.

"Not if I get you first!" Luffy drew back his fist for another punch. The Fiddler growled and suddenly kicked his right leg, sending out a blast of air. Luffy pulled back just in time to avoid losing an arm even as Natushiko lost both his. The Fiddler sighed in exasperation as his house and property were damaged even further.

"Are you quite finished? Stop that before I end both your lives." He paused to see if he was going to be obeyed before continuing, "I've been looking for you, girl. You can be of great help to me. I'm looking for my violin."

Zoro's eyes narrowed.

"Who are you supposed to be?"

"That's the second time I've been asked that today..." Hanley watched as his legs circled around to stand before her. "You can hear it, can't you?"

Hanley shrugged, finally looking at his face. Her eyes promptly bugged out.

"You look just like—!"

"Now, now, that's not important. How troublesome of you to see it. Why don't you answer my question instead?"

"I...yes, ever since I got here. It sounds like it's close."

The Fiddler stroked his chin thoughtfully, considering his options. Hanley tried not to stare, but it was a difficult thing with such a familiar visage before her.

"Good." The Fiddler finally answered, putting his hands in his pockets. "I thought so. It's easy to tell which ones are sensitive." Hanley watched as he gestured for her to stand. "A troublesome young man barely out of boyhood hid it away, and my sight is not what it used to be."

Perhaps she could work with this. Maybe...

"If I find your fiddle, we get to leave," Hanley stated boldly. They weren't going to get stuck here because of hers and Natsuhiko's issues. She had to make sure her nakama got free at the very least.

"Who is this guy?" Luffy asked, slightly less furious.

"I'll explain later." The sun was setting and Hanley didn't want to waste any more time. The sound of the music had gotten louder before she was distracted by the fight. "Luffy, I want you and Zoro get ready to run."

"I'm not running."

"Who's running?"

'Oh, right. I totally forgot who I'm talking to.'

The Fiddler cleared his throat.

"I'm still here, and your lack of trust is hurtful. Still, you're in no position to demand anything. If you do not do as I say, I'll simply destroy them like I did that other young man."

'Other young man? The only other young man it could be...'

"What'd you do to Sanji?" Hanley shouted angrily, fearing the worst. The Fiddler muttered something under his breath and shrugged.

"Was I not clear? But then, he rather insisted on trying to delay me as much as possible to prevent me from coming after you. In that sense, it's rather his own fault."

Hanley bit her lip as her hands curled into her fists. She already knew this was her doing, but did he have to put it like that, even if it _were_ true?

"Well? Any ideas _Rear Admiral_?" Hanley drawled sarcastically, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Natsuhiko's eyes narrowed and he hissed, "This never happened!"

"You..."

The Fiddler seemed to finally reach the end of his patience when he started to reach for her arm.

"Do as I say, girl."

Luffy quickly snapped his arm out in a quick jab.

"Bastard!"

The Fiddler easily jumped back to evade, only to flip away when a black blur crashed down just where he was standing.

"What the hell?" Zoro knocked a bottle away with his sheath before it smacked into his face. Hanley was more concerned keeping the dirt from her eyes.

"More trouble?..." she wondered as the dust began to settle.

"You really don't know when to roll over and die, do you?" The Fiddler asked as he straightened the cuffs on his coat. As the dust cleared, Hanley found herself smiling in relief.

"Sanji-kun!"

"Like I thought," Sanji said, "I knew you would lead me right to the others..." He swayed a bit, but stubbornly locked his knees to remain upright. Hanley cringed at the horrible shape he was in. His suit was ripped and he looked badly burned—far worse than when he fought against Pearl back at Baratie—to say nothing of the blood and bruising.

"He's really beat up," Luffy observed quietly.

"Y-Yeah..." Hanley agreed while Zoro snorted.

"Ha! So I guess that guy is all talk?"

"Zoro!" Hanley began, but it seemed that was exactly what Sanji needed to hear as he shot forward despite his injuries to release a flurry of spinning kicks.

"I don't want to hear that crap from you, Marimo!" Sanji snapped as his kick smashed through two trees.

Zoro nodded.

"He'll be fine."

'Sanji-kun...right.'

Hanley grabbed Luffy's vest and Zoro's haramaki and started dragging them away from the vicious fight.

"Come on, then! We have to go!" In all the excitement she had forgotten about the quickly vanishing sunlight. Natsuhiko appeared to notice as well as he motioned for Cassius to follow.

"We'll have to put this on hold, Han-chan."

"Oh _whatever_."

Zoro struggled against her grip.

"Not again, woman!"

"We have to leave, Mr. Zoro, and frankly I don't trust you to follow a straight line."

"Oi!"

Despite his protests she lead them through the tangled underbrush, pausing occasionally to get her bearings. Finally, Natushiko spoke up.

"Han-chan, the ships're that way."

"I'm not looking for the ships, I'm...ah ha!" Hanley dropped her cargo and jogged ahead to a fallen stone pillar. She pressed her ear against the carved rock and listened intently.

"I kinda wanna ask...but I'd hate to disturb her."

Zoro pointed a katana at him.

"What the hell are you talking about all of a sudden, you—"

"Yes!" Hanley took a step back before breaking the stone pillar into more manageable pieces with a powerful elbow strike. She brushed the debris aside and pulled out a tattered violin case from its hiding place. Once in her hands the music finally seemed to fade. She turned it over before carefully cracking it open.

"Holy shit..." she murmured as the others (save Cassius) crowded around her. The Fiddler wasn't kidding when he said the instrument was made out of the purest, highest grade of gold. It sparkled in the low sunlight, and yet was so light to barely weigh a thing at all.

"This is what he was looking for, huh," Natsuhiko murmured thoughtfully. "Well, fine, but we need to leave. Follow me...unless you trust those two to get you back."

Hanley glared at him but sighed as she looked at Zoro and Luffy. Zoro raised an eyebrow while Luffy was still preoccupied with gazing at the shiny violin in her arms. Hanley sighed once more before reluctantly nodding.

"I have no choice, do I?" she muttered as she closed the case with a snap.

Natsuhiko smirked triumphantly.

"Nope."

They turned when there was a loud crash not too far away from where they were standing.

"Well, lead the way, then."

"Please follow me."

Hanley stumbled as they were finally free from the tangled woods. It was practically nightfall, with twilight vanishing every second. She cursed and took off running in the direction Natsuhiko pointed at. She had to hope they made it; she had to hope Sanji wouldn't be left behind, although from the sounds of it he and the Fiddler were keeping close. All Hanley knew was she was quite sick of this little adventure. She wanted her bed and her sleep!

They dashed across the sloping, green hills until Hanley could see the coastline—and the Going Merry—in the distance. Hanley chanced a look back and gaped when she saw Sanji go flying to the air.

"Hanuman!"

Luffy looked to where she pointed and nodded.

"I got 'im!" He stretched one arm and snagged the lapel of Sanji's now tattered suit jacket before promptly tossing him further towards the Going Merry. Hanley slapped her forehead when she saw Nami and Usopp run screaming before he slammed into them.

"Monkey D. Luffy!"

"What? He's on the ship, now."

'Why do I even bother?'

Natushiko and Cassius broke away to head to their own ship. There was only a miniscule amount of light left on the horizon when Hanley sped ahead and leaped onto Going Merry's main deck.

"You're alive!" Usopp cheered (or sobbed, rather). Hanley patted his shoulder as she knelt by Sanji's side.

"Sanji-kun, you okay?" she asked, setting the case down. Sanji's groan was downright pitiful, but he managed to give her a thumbs up. At the very least he was aware.

Nami busied herself by making preparations to depart.

"Hurry up you two, we have to raise the sail!"

"Okay!" Luffy answered, grabbing Zoro next and tossing him on board. Hanley sighed and moved to the side just as Zoro came crashing down.

"Mr. Zoro, raise the sail, won't you?"

"I'm going to kill you all."

"That's nice. Grab the rope."

The sail billowed as it caught a strong gust of wind coming from land. The ship creaked and slowly began to pull away from shore.

"We're really cutting it close..." Hanley worried as she went to the prow. She could see the Fiddler's figure in the distance, slowly walking towards the coast. She moved back to Sanji's side—he had somehow managed to take off his jacket without assistance, but looked unable to do much else for the time being. Hanley felt enormously guilty at the state he was in, but she couldn't spare him any attention at the moment. She grabbed the violin case and held it up for the Fiddler to see.

"Oi, here's what you wanted, right?"

Hanley drew back her arm and threw the vase as hard as she could. Despite its awkward shape it flew a good distance right into the Fiddler's outstretched hand. He turned it over in his hands before opening the case.

"There, that should..." She trailed off when he held up the case towards her, showing it was empty. "What the fuck? Where did it..."

"Ah, forgive me, Hanley-sama...but I couldn't leave without avenging myself." Sanji propped himself up and held up golden violin. Hanley's eyes bugged out.

"Sanji-kun, seriously?"

"Faceless shit-head pissed me off..." Sanji tiredly sank to the deck.

"Faceless? What do you mean?"

"What do you think it means?" Usopp gasped as he ran past, "That monster has no face! I nearly died..."

'But...his face looks a lot like...' Hanley shook her head, dismissing the thought for now to help the others. They were finally out in open ocean, the small island vanishing quickly in the distance. Natsuhiko's galleon was keeping pace easily, despite the fact she couldn't see any crew. Strange, there were plenty when she was last on the ship...well, it didn't matter now. It would seem, despite everything and Sanji's theft, they were going to be free.

* * *

Fiddler

"Oh my, oh my...that kid is really annoying." He dropped the now useless case and shoved his hands deep in his pockets. Both ships were making good time—they would be free of his space just in time, even with his meddling.

Still, this was the most fun he had had in years. Most of the time, the sailors trapped weren't really worth much. That didn't stop him from bringing them salvation by adding them to his collection, but it got boring after several centuries. The last time he was so excited was when he had managed to capture a fledging pirate and his nakama all those years ago.

'It really is remarkable...that one boy even had the same straw hat...'

"You are still here?" Fiddler asked, suddenly, glancing to the side. Wadatsumi smiled softly and slowly lowered himself to the ground with a deep sigh. Even seated his height was nearly comparable with the Fiddler's.

"Am I not allowed?"

"Oh, there's nothing about that," the Fiddler replied casually, "it's just that I thought you would be with her."

"I will be, but now...only in the smallest of senses. I'm all tapped out—still, I can't bring myself to go to hell just quite yet."

"How sentimental."

"Hoh? After you spent the better part of the day toying with that one kid? You could have killed him without trouble; however, not only did you train him, you told him about All Blue and let him make off with your treasure. Any particular reason?"

The Fiddler was silent for several long moments.

"... ...I suppose I have become sentimental myself. But times are rapidly changing, no? To have nothing for so long...and yet, suddenly, there is so much turmoil in recent history. It is the same as that ancient time."

"Oh?"

"Indeed. It is the same feeling...something is building."

"Careful, you'll end up interacting with the outside world again if you keep that up." Wadatsumi's voice was teasing.

The Fiddler grunted.

"Enough, away with you. Hurry up and die peacefully."

Wadatsumi laughed softly as he slowly disappeared. The Fiddler turned his gaze skyward and watched as stars began to dot the sky.

"Over eight hundred years...no one should live that long."

* * *

Krut Hanley

"I'll be leaving you here for now." Natsuhiko called down as he leaned against the railing of his ship. Hanley's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms angrily. He made it sound as if he was doing them a favor.

It was galling to admit, but he really was.

Natsuhiko spoke once more, "I'll be going this way across the Calm Belt. You'd best hurry to Reverse Mountain before it gets too hot for you in East Blue. Captain Smoker will no doubt be close behind you."

"Alright," Hanley answered, "now get the hell out of here."

Natsuhiko smiled at her.

"Mean as always. But don't think this will be the last you'll see me. I can promise that. Oh, and Monkey? I'll be killing you, first."

"How dare you—"

Luffy interrupted her, thoroughly unconcerned.

"If you say so. You're not killing anybody."

"Hm." To Hanley's surprise, Natsuhiko smiled at that before raising his hand. "Beat it, before I change my mind."

"That guy really pisses me off..." Zoro growled as they watched him depart for Calm Belt.

"Forget him for now. We do need to leave, and soon." Nami shielded her eyes as she studied the horizon. "Ah...we're heading right into rain as well."

Hanley nodded in agreement from her position by the prow. They had only escaped the storm due to their unusual side trip. Judging from the map she saw on the galleon, they would have to head northwest from what she could figure. The trip was only a few hours, but they couldn't afford to waste any more time. She dug into her pocket and pulled out the ragged armband she picked off of one of Natsuhiko's marines. She examined the mon as she turned it over between her fingers.

"Whatcha holdin'?" Luffy asked, dropping onto the bow spirit. Hanley jumped and pressed her hand against her chest.

"Fuck, don't do that!"

"Do what?"

Hanley sighed, "Nevermind..." She held up the armband for him to see. "You see this, right? It's how I knew Natsuhiko was here. It's...how I found him. See this? This is the flag from our country, a red dot in the middle of a white background. It represents the sun. And these characters spell 'Summer Boy,' his name. He drew it in class one day about 12 years ago...said he was going to put it on his ship when he saved up enough to buy one."

"He really knew you?"

"He did."

"Hmm..." Luffy swung his legs around so that he was facing her. Hanley tucked the armband back into her pocket and leaned back against the curved piece of wood.

"I just don't understand him, not completely. Why he went to so much trouble...why he did that." Hanley paused, taking a deep breath. Luffy seemed content to let her talk at him for the time being. "He wasn't like that before, you know? He was so much fun. Exasperating, hyper, but fun. We used to talk all the time, fight all time...sorta like me, you, and Ace used to before we had to go and get all _old_."

Luffy puffed his cheeks out indignantly.

"Who's old? You and Ace will be all rickety long before me! But that's okay, I'll look after you."

"Oh? Why thank you! It's nice to know my husband is so reliable."

"Shishi!"

"He was going to be a fisherman with his own, huge boat...even more successful than his father. He was going to take me places, too. But now that he has his own ship, and that he really can take me all over the world he's not the same. And it's my fault, sort of, that he was treated so badly. He would have never been separated from his family if not for me—that's just the truth of it. I feel responsible for him, kinda, since that's the case."

"Well..." Luffy slid off the bowspirit and placed his hands behind his head as he considered his thoughts (which was...amazing, but there it was). "I don't know much, but everything he did is because of what he wanted to do."

"Thanks for trying to make me feel better. It's just...the worst of it was he liked me. And he still does, but I never knew. So now he wants to kill you and—"

"He won't, I won't let him so don't worry so much. I'm strong."

Hanley nodded and laughed softly.

"Yeah, definitely."

"So he won't! But..." Luffy trailed off, and once again, for just a moment, Hanley saw that same _something_ that was in his expression before when he faced Arlong.

"But?" she asked, watching him.

"He made me really angry."

Hanley coughed, shifting uncomfortably. She remembered that, and she still felt bad for making him worry so much.

"I saw. Er, if you want to yell at me..."

"Huh?"

"Oh, well, I went to him in the first place. If I didn't do that—"

"You wanted to see a friend. I won't get mad for you wanting to do that." Luffy smiled. "Hanley gets mad enough for the both of us."

'Oh, well... ... ...thank you?'

"Haha, you're too kind."

Luffy gave a sharp nod.

"And because he used to be Hanley's friend, I'll only beat him up instead of kill him."

"...Wait, what—"

"Oh!" Luffy lightly tapped a fist into the open palm of his hand. "That's right, I was supposed to get you—we're having a real early breakfast."

"O-Okay... ...were you seriously trying to kill him?"

"Yeah, of course."

'Of course he says.' Then Hanley had another thought.

"Er, you're not going to tell your brother, are you?"

Luffy gave her an odd look. Hanley wondered how it got to the point where _Luffy_ was looking at her as if she were cracked.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"You know why! He's a total hot head! He'd take it way out of proportion!"

"I guess he'd try to kill him, too...are you sure you just don't want him to yell at you?"

It was a rather insightful comment for him, but Hanley found herself snarling just thinking about Ace's attitude.

"He always yells at me! He can be so unreasonable!"

"You yell a lot, too."

"I don't not!" Hanley shouted, proving his point quite effectively. "Ooh, now just thinking about him pisses me off! You just wait until I see him again, I've got some _words_ for that inconsiderate—"

"Oi!" Zoro called, opening the cabin door. "What's taking you two so long?"

"Did Mr. Zoro miss me that much?" Hanley sassed. "That really warms my heart!"

She snickered as he shook his head and grumbled under his breath, retreating back into the kitchen. She was a little worried when she didn't hear Sanji comment on the exchange—he typically would have.

"Hanuman? Is Sanji-kun...?"

"He made breakfast, but he left after."

'He didn't even stop to flirt with Tsunami...this is serious.'

"I see...well, let's enjoy his cooking and rest a bit. We'll be in Grand Line later on today if it works out well."

Luffy pumped his fists and jumped into the air.

"Yosh! That's right!"

Hanley trailed behind as he ran ahead into the combined cabin/galley, lost in thought. She had a lot to consider, not in the least Wadatsumi and Natsuhiko. Still...

'I won't lose.'

* * *

Omake

"Ara, Sanji-kun, here you are!"

Sanji jumped and dropped the small, worn paperback he was reading, wincing when he jarred his body too roughly. Hanley opened the door completely and stepped inside the hold, frowning in concern.

"Are you alright? You shouldn't move so abruptly." She pulled up a small crate and joined him at the small table. She glanced around the small cargo area. He had a pretty nice set up here, given that he had little to work with. The table was small and worn, but stable, and he had a decent supply of lantern oil and candles. He kept the area pretty spotless as well.

"I'm fine, Hanley-sama!" he said, smiling brightly. "I'm so moved at your concern for me!"

"I think something is wrong...you don't have to force yourself, you know." She must have been close to the mark when he jerked slightly and scratched his cheek.

"Ah, Hanley-sama is so insightful!"

'Er...well, he hasn't changed all that much...'

Hanley held up her parcel.

"I have the first aid kit. I don't know much, only enough to keep someone from dying outright, but Tsunami said that this was good for burns, and I just..." Hanley sighed and bowed slightly to him. "I have an idea of what you did for me, so...thanks."

"H-Hanley-sama..."

"Now, now...I just want to show how grateful I am. Anyway, before we get to the first aid I want to do something first, _so._..take it off," ordered Hanley, gesturing towards him.

Sanji gaped at her for so long she wondered if she said something wrong.

Hanley tried once more, "Sanji-kun?"

He coughed and suddenly seemed to find the bulkhead a source of great interest.

"I..."

"It's alright, I'm not that inept, I've had lots of practice. Well, I'm not a _professional—_" She trailed off when Sanji suddenly choked.

"I never thought such a thing, Hanley-sama."

"Right... ...anyway! I do know what I'm doing, though. Well, after being with Luffy so long—are you sure you're okay?" Hanley asked again when he made an unusual noise deep in his throat.

"Fine," he croaked.

"Hm...too many cigarettes, I bet. Anyway, I'll be gentle, just..."

"H-Hanley-sama, really, your concern is more than enough!"

"Don't be so silly. Now take off your shirt or I'll do it for you!" She reached forward then and managed to grab a sleeve and his shirt tail, but Sanji proved to be quite agile even while sore.

"Wait, Hanley-sama!"

"Oh for goodness' sake, just let me...ha!" A quick nudge to the back of his right knee was enough to get him back down on his seat, but not enough to get him out of his garment.

"Hanley-sama—" Sanji began, but was cut off when she accidentally yanked too hard, causing his collar to ride up into his neck.

"Shit, I'm sorry, hold on," she reached down to undo his tie so he didn't choke to death from her assistance, only to freeze when the door opened.

"I think it's in—ah." Nami raised an eyebrow and smiled. Hanley could feel herself beginning to sweat and smiled weakly.

"Ah...Tsunami..."

"I'm not one to judge," Nami said (and how kindly she sounded!). Hanley sighed when the other young woman directed Zoro to pick up a large barrel. Sanji couldn't speak at all, not that Hanley could exactly blame him. Nami gave a short wave as she left, without further comment. Zoro paused just as he was closing the door.

"This isn't really my business," he began, "but men shouldn't do that too much, it weakens them."

The sound of the door shutting seemed to echo in the small area. Hanley sighed as she finished loosening his tie, scowling slightly.

"I think I get it, now. I was just going to look at your burns, you know."

"A-Ah..." Sanji mumbled. Hanley smiled and lightly gave his shoulder a pat.

"Oh, it's fine. I'm just surprised at how shy you were." Hanley narrowed her eyes teasingly. "So it's like that, hm? Under that flirtatious exterior you wouldn't know what to do if a woman truly reciprocated. I think you'd die of shock...and happiness."

Sanji grinned, looking bashful. Hanley nodded.

"Anyway, stay still so these wounds aren't even more aggravated than they already are."

Sanji smiled softly, allowing her to do her work.

"Thank you."

"Not at all."

It was silent for several long moments as Hanley concentrated on her task. She didn't think she could fuck it up at this point, but she didn't want to take a chance. Once she was done wrapping his shoulder, she decided to speak.

"Sanji-kun, is there really something wrong?"

"It's just..."

"Hm?"

"That man, he told me some unsettling things."

"Oh?" she said as she wiped the burn paste from her fingertips.

"Mm," he murmured, seemingly lost in his own world. "He told me about All Blue."

"So it really exists? That's good, right?"

"It is good, only..."

"Only?"

Hanley watched him straighten and shake his head.

"It's been my dream to find All Blue my entire life. It's hard to explain the..._need_ I have to go there. That man said he would tell me about All Blue if I could survive his attacks. And he said...he said that it was the site of some great disaster that happened centuries ago; that it is the gathering place of all treasures of the four Blues, but it collects the evil as well. It's a cursed sea and that I would be inviting disaster to go after it."

"So, you've decided not to pursue it?"

"How can I quit now, when I'm so much closer than I've ever been? I think I'm so out of sorts is because of that man. He made it sound like he was there. For a while, I thought he was teaching me the same way Honor Zeff used to; but if that's the case, then why?"

"I...who knows? I don't think the Fiddler's motives can be understood. I do know that he's been alive for quite some time, apparently..." Hanley tied off the bandage going around his middle. "The question is, is this really going to change your goals?"  
"No," came the firm reply. Hanley grinned.

"So...as Hanuman would tell me...don't worry about it. If there's a curse, and it's some natural disaster waiting to happen, then that's just the way it is."

"...You're right." He pulled a cigarette from the tattered pack lying on the table and dug out a lighter from his pocket. He lit it with practiced ease and took a few, short puffs. "That's just the way it is."

* * *

_To be continued..._


End file.
